EOD Techs, First Responders Test Skills

STUMP NECK, Md. (NNS) -- Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technicians recently conducted a two-part diving exercise at Naval Support Facility Indian Head's Stump Neck Annex that tested their evidence collection and medical response skills.

Members of Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division (NSWC IHEODTD), Technical Support Detachment (TSD), were supported by Naval District Washington (NDW) firefighters and EMTs, and Maryland first responders.

The training scenario began with a simulated attack by a boat loaded with explosives and suicide bombers. The boat was destroyed by security personnel near a pier before it could hurt friendly forces, but the battle did not end with the elimination of the threat. As in a real-world event, there was invaluable intelligence to be collected around the scene of the detonation.

"They're going to go down [underwater] and recover and process evidence," said Senior Chief Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician David Prasek, NSWC IHEODTD TSD Readiness and Training Leading Chief Petty Officer.

"However, the thing we're going to [add to the exercise] is a diving casualty and a base-wide response drill. One of the divers will come up stricken; the dive supervisor of the team will run the casualty through our emergency action plan all the way to a helicopter medivac."

The divers were in the dark about the full extent of the exercise. They worked in pairs to recover simulated enemy bodies, boat and bomb parts and samples of water around the blast site. As one team exited the water it briefed the next team about the site using hand-drawn diagrams. Evidence was gathered into bags and buckets.

"It builds into the intelligence picture," said Prasek. "They can identify explosives and tactics, techniques and procedures and put it in a report and get that information out to the Fleet."

"Every piece of evidence has its own value and certainly some have more value than others," added Ronald Kelly, a forensic technical representative for Wyle Laboratories with 34 years of experience working for the FBI.

"For example, from a boat scenario, there valuable information you can immediately get from the boat such as boat registration, VIN number. Likewise, anything related to the explosive device-the detonator, parts of the device, type of explosive-are all important elements of the puzzle that go into the overall intel picture. So we try to recover everything we can on a post-blast scene."

Gathering those pieces was no small task for the divers. "It's a very challenging environment, particularly in a situation like we have today with a moving current and no visibility whatsoever, we've eliminating the primary way of collecting evidence, seeing," said Kelly.

"So as they're processing the scene they have to move toward their second-best sense, which is tactile, to actually recover evidence. That's the biggest challenge when you get into a water environment. It makes the job of recovering items necessary to piece the puzzle back together that much tougher."

Time and security become factors of evidence collection in a combat environment. "Instead of going for everything, you're going to go for major pieces, important pieces, and then you're going to move out," said Kelly."Our post-blast [investigation] in those types of conditions may only be an hour or two versus days, weeks or even months in other places."

Kelly was impressed by the skills demonstrated by the EOD techs. "Most evidence collection is based on experience and recognition," he said."The fact that we have experienced EOD technicians who are divers makes this scenario ideal. They are EOD experts so they know what they're looking for versus a typical evidence recovery team on the law enforcement side that are not as familiar with bomb components."

The EOD techs were not the only Sailors testing their evidence-collection skills. Construction Mechanic 1st Class Stephen Ross and Intelligence Specialist Joe Triolisilvagnoli supported the EOD techs from the shoreline, performing tasks that took them out of their
typical job duties.

"It's pretty rewarding to get out and see the actual evidence and the collection process, seeing how we go about cataloging the evidence and bringing it back to the lab to complete the mission," said Ross.

"It's definitely interesting from an intel guy's perspective to come out here and see all this stuff before I read the reports," added Triolisilvagnoli. "Seeing exactly what these guys collect and how they collect it makes it easier for me to interpret the reports I'm getting."

By gaining a greater understanding of all the different elements of evidence collection, the process of interpreting that information and communicating it can be accomplished with greater efficiency. "I think that's one of the most important parts of the job," said Triolisilvagnoli. "If nobody gets the information, what did we really do?"

"Ensuring we get the evidence properly, get it through our chain, get it through our avenues to get it out to the guys who really need it on the battlefield where it can save lives... it makes a difference," said Ross.

As Ross and Triolisilvagnoli expanded their professional skill sets, EOD techs continued the investigation off shore. One of them, Lt. Cmdr. John McCarthy, had special instructions. At a pre-determined time, he surprised his shipmates by floating to the surface as though he were an unconsciousness diver. Such medical emergencies could happen during dive training or a real-life dive mission.

"The second part is going to exercise the dive supervisor to make sure he knows his procedures as far as dealing with a stricken diver," said Prasek."It also exercises federal fire-fighters and police, as well as the state-wide responders and their procedures, so in case there is an actual incident, we're comfortable knowing everything will fall in place like it should."

The EOD techs at the scene of the simulated blast sprang into action, pulling McCarthy into the boat and rendering aid. In a real-life situation, a diver can face any number of medical issues. "Depending on the depth, there could be decompression sickness," said Prasek.

"You can have mechanical injuries... they can cut themselves or hit something underwater. They can knock themselves unconscious. They can have gas embolisms."

By the time the boat made it to the shoreline, the EOD techs had contacted emergency services and placed an oxygen mask on McCarthy.

When it comes to diving, the Navy has a checklist for everything and EODC Daniel Hatfield, dive supervisor, documented McCarthy's condition using a Neurological Examination Checklist.

When Naval District Washington (NDW) firefighters and EMTs arrived on-scene, the EOD techs briefed them on the victim's condition. To best treat the casualty, medical airlift would be required. Naval Support Activity South Potomac (NSASP) police closed the road and the ambulance moved McCarthy to Stump Neck's helicopter landing zone.

After circling the LZ, a Maryland State Trooper rescue helicopter touched down and McCarthy was loaded onboard. The exercise itself ended, but the EOD techs and first responders spent much time discussing what happened and how such an emergency response could be improved during an informal after-action debriefing.

Though each element of the rescue-the EOD techs, firefighters and EMTs, and the Maryland State Trooper pilot and flight medic-had expertise in different areas, they all shared a common goal: saving lives. With that goal in mind, good is never good enough and the men identified what went well, as well as areas for improvement. The groups parted ways with a greater understanding of each others' capabilities and needs, as well as plans for future exercises.

For more news from Naval Support Activity South Potomac, visit www.navy.mil/local/NSASP/.