SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. — The National Guard is set to host a training response exercise for Washington National Guard members in Spokane on Saturday.
The Homeland Response Force (HRF) disaster-response exercise aims to train guards to be prepared to assist in case a catastrophic event happens.
More than 500 Washington National Guard members will participate in the HRF training exercise. They will be trained on activities following a potential disaster, including search and rescue, decontamination and medical training.
The training will take place on Saturday, April 9 at the Spokane Readiness Center.
"Being ready for any event, but most importantly one that can expose Washingtonians to dangerous materials is important,” Bret Daugherty, major and adjutant general, said in a statement. “These exercises are necessary because when lives are at risk, we want to be ready to deploy these troops and provide assistance as quickly as possible."
The HRF has highly-trained soldiers and airmen from across the state that iare organized and equipped to identify and respond during a catastrophic event. The HRF responds to Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, or high-yield Explosive (CBRNE) events.
The HRF was activated as part of the Washington National Guard’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic from March 2020 to August 2021. The HRF helped with COVID-19 testing and test kit assembly with the Department of Health across the state.