DLA Installation Management at Susquehanna tests emergency response, mutual aid collaboration

Defense Logistics Agency Installation Management at Susquehanna personnel conducted a full-scale exercise at the Defense Distribution Center, Susquehanna, Pennsylvania, Sept. 23.

The exercise, held in conjunction with National Preparedness Month, aimed to enhance the installation's emergency response capabilities. Rick Zucchero, installation emergency manager, DLA Installation Management at Susquehanna, emphasized the importance of the exercise.

"It is critical that we conduct these exercises to ensure our plans and procedures are executable if a real disaster occurs," he said. "Conducting a well-planned exercise provides an opportunity to evaluate and improve our response plans. Even a simple drill or test of an emergency plan can reveal whether it functions effectively or needs some improvement."

Leadership from DLA Installation Management at Susquehanna and DLA Distribution, Susquehanna, Pennsylvania, observed the exercise, which included participation from the DLA Installation Management at Susquehanna Fire and Police Departments as well as mutual aid partners throughout the region. Collaboration with mutual aid partners served as a critical component for this year's exercise.

"Our mutual aid agreements facilitate collaboration among professionals from federal, state and municipal levels of government," said Nicholas Panzica, fire chief, DLA Installation Management at Susquehanna. "This partnership allows us to broaden our collective resources and, when a disaster strikes, navigate them with precision to critical locations, ensuring we are strategically postured for an effective response."

The exercise focused on evaluating initial notification processes, communication procedures, response protocols, functions of the Emergency Operations Center and Mass Assembly Areas during a mass casualty incident.

Objectives included evaluating police department, fire department, and Emergency Communications Center response, operational procedures and communication protocols, as well as hazard response and mitigation, mass casualty response procedures, unified command/incident command operations and EOC functions.

"The skills tested focused on core technical disciplines, including heavy-duty extrication, stabilization of degraded structures, and the safe removal of injured personnel," Panzica said. "Concurrently, the exercise tested command and operational resilience by requiring participants to practice multi-agency Incident Command communications and validate continuity of operations, successfully demonstrating an absence of single-point failures."

The scenario followed a week of escalating incidents, beginning Aug. 25-29, with three reports of suspicious activity on or near the installation, triggering communication, response and notification procedures.

The main incident scenario simulated a plane crash on the northwest corner of the installation. The scenario included a fire, multiple victims requiring assistance, entrapment and evacuation of building occupants.

"Installation exercises serve as a critical validation of our capabilities, ensuring personnel and resources can be deployed effectively to preserve the mission through the precise execution of skills against both current and future threats."

This proactive training reinforced best practices and allowed participants to practice response procedures, mass notification processes and other emergency protocols. Ultimately, exercises like these are critical for maintaining readiness.

"This drill united top-tier professionals in a high-fidelity environment, reinforcing our 'train as we fight' philosophy. The exercise demanded a proactive, rather than reactive, approach to complex challenges," Panzica said. "While the core mandates of saving lives, protecting the mission and preserving the environment are inherently difficult, the team performed expertly, successfully meeting every objective of the test. The entire event was completed with a perfect safety record, resulting in zero injuries."