Robins exercise tests base, community response capabilities Published Oct. 31, 2008 By Wayne Crenshaw 78th Air Base Wing/Public Affairs ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- On Oct. 22, a call went out over Houston County 911 that a military plane had crashed at the Perry-Houston County Airport, but the message was clarified with the words "exercise, exercise." A school bus simulated the fuselage of a crashed E-3 Airborne Warning And Control System aircraft, and smoke, a few scattered airplane parts and some makeup for "victims" helped add to the realness of the scene. It was all part of Robins' exercise to test how base responders and emergency personnel in the community can work together in the event of an actual crash. "I think it went real well," said exercise evaluation chief Wayne Carson. "There were problems that occurred here and there but it's nothing you can't correct. There are things you have to work out. Nothing is going to be perfect but that's why we exercise." Over 50 emergency personnel responded from agencies that included several local fire and police departments along with ambulances, hospital personnel and the county coroner. Volunteers with makeup to simulate various injuries played the roles of 13 victims. Mannequins were used for four people killed in the crash. An exercise is usually held four times per year, Mr. Carson said, and about once a year an exercise is held off base for the purpose of testing coordination with other agencies. The exercise evaluation office in the 78th Air Base Wing works to set up the details of the scenario then gauges the response to the event. "We have exercise evaluators in each one of those fields of expertise," said Audrey Ray, a program analyst in the office. "We go through each part of the exercise to show each area of improvement."