BAY REGION DRILLS THEORETICAL CHEMICAL ATTACK ON DOWNTOWN SAN FRANCISCO
17 August 2008
Photo by Jason Steinberg Imagery © 2008
BY PAT MURPHY
Sentinel Editor & Publisher
Copyright © 2008
A theoretical attack on downtown San Francisco honed skill of some 500 emergency responders Saturday, dispatched without being told nature of the mass casualty offensive.
As part of the drill, resources were sapped by a mock nearby shooting rampage.
Photo by Jason Steinberg Imagery © 2008
Multi-agency weapons of mass destruction drills are conducted on a regular basis in San Francisco, — each time with challenging new scenario — drawn from San Francisco, surrounding cities, The California National Guard, the U.S. Army and the FBI.
Photo by Jason Steinberg Imagery © 2008
While those agencies are at the forefront, many other agencies also participate such as state environment officials tasking nearby and outlying regional protection from spread of mass weapon contaminates.
“It’s truly taxing the resources here in San Francisco, but that’s what it’s all about,” explained San Francisco Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White in a briefing following the exercise.
San Francisco Fire Department Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White bolstered
by San Francisco Police Chief Heather Fong
and San Francisco Fire Commission President George Lau
Photo by Jason Steinberg Imagery © 2008
“Each time we do, this the better off all of us are.
“We can only learn so much in a classroom –we always work together very well — but it’s under these types of constraints and circumstances we are actually trying to simulate something as real as it can get.”
The world headquarters of Bank of America, located at 555 California Street at Kearny Street, was volunteered as ground zero in public-private sectors training.
Photo by Jason Steinberg Imagery © 2008
Both San Francisco Fire and Police mobile command vans were in place as the Fire Department became lead agency for coordinating response. Response protocol calls for both command centers to be on scene within 30 minutes of an attack.
A new Fire Department mobile command van went into service this week.
San Francisco Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White, right, leads command
inside new Fire Department mobile command center
Photo by Jason Steinberg Imagery © 2008
Photo by Jason Steinberg Imagery © 2008
Agencies determine onscene response, communicating actions to the exeuctive and legislative branches of San Francisco government. In Mayor Newsom’s absence, District 2 Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier served as Acting Mayor.
Arriving situation assessment determined that the scene had been struck by chemical attack, with specialist responders quickly suited protectively for evaluation.
Photo by Jason Steinberg Imagery © 2008
Airtight and triple-gloved suits require frequent and demanding task of wiping mask
from inside the suit.
Temperture rapidly rises inside suits.
Protcol for staying in the suit is 30 minutes.
Photo by Jason Steinberg Imagery © 2008
Cyanide was discovered the klling agent and decontamination tents were erected while medical personnel triaged victims and initiated treatment protocols.
San Francisco students volunteered as simulated victims
Photo by Jason Steinberg Imagery © 2008
The next drill, termed Shake Up San Francisco, will strategize multiple attacks throughout San Francisco and will ask all residents to participate.
Timed to begin with noon siren testing, the drill will be held in October at a date to be announced next week.
Funding for the $250,000 August 15 drill came from federal grants.
Jason Steinberg
San Francisco Photojournalist
Jason Steinberg is a San Francisco based photographer whose photojournalistic style (San Francisco Sate University- B.A. Journalism-photo emphasis) documents the Bay Area scene while capturing those fleeting moments of grand emotion that last. Jason has a sense of ease that transforms his clients’ apprehensions and anxieties about having their image made. Additionally, his personality enables him to move amongst the crowd, to capture hidden moments. Visit Bay Area events at Steinberg Imagery’s Galleries. For a complete selection of photos, click here. Email the photographer at: jason@steinbergimagery.com.
PAT MURPHY
Sentinel Editor & Publisher
In his youth, Pat Murphy worked as a General Assignment reporter for the Richmond Independent, the Berkeley Daily Gazette, and the San Francisco Chronicle. He served as Managing Editor of the St. Albans (Vermont) Daily Messenger at age 21. Murphy also launched ValPak couponing in San Francisco, as the company’s first San Francisco franchise owner. He walked the bricks, developing ad strategy for a broad range of restaurants and merchants. Pat knows what works and what doesn’t work. His writing skill has been employed by marketing agencies, including Don Solem & Associates. He has covered San Francisco governance for the past twelve years. Pat scribes an offbeat opinion column of the human family. Email Pat Murphy at SanFranciscoSentinel@yahoo.com.
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