All suited up

Some members of the military are handed guns to serve as soldiers. Others, like the members of the Kansas Civil Support Team (KCST), use lab tests and serve more as scientists than as soldiers.

The KCST is completing a training this week with the Pittsburg Fire Department on hazardous materials. Each of the fire department’s shifts are getting their own run-through in how to deal with potentially dangerous chemicals.

The group is based out of Topeka’s Forbes Field and are made up of men from the Kansas Air and Army National Guard. They are designed to provide support to authorities at sites of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) and other major chemical incident sites.

“Training like this is so valuable. We don’t get it ourselves,” said Pittsburg Fire Chief Scott Crain. “They have state-of-the-art satellite equipment and other items. It’s equipment we don’t have. We have a haz-mat unit out of Coffeyville, but if they’re not available, we call these guys in.”

The KCST does not come in and simply take over a scene. They work with the local people in charge to assess, advise and assist.

“Our job is to work for the commander on the ground. Our job is to help them accomplish their mission,” said Major Scott Chew.

If need be, the KCST has plenty of resources that would put most local groups to shame. There is a communications unit that can send information top secret or establish Internet, radio, or satellite communications with anyone across the world. There is a decontamination unit for cleaning and containing people and their equipment. There’s even a mobile lab for doing preliminary identification on hazardous materials.

Tuesday’s mission parameters were that a group of partying kids found what they believed to be a laboratory. Chemicals were later found that were believed to be precursors to a chemical weapon. Although that scenario hasn’t exactly happened in this area, the squad has been called to Pittsburg before, to deal with such things as a mercury spill.

“With Kansas City Southern railroad and the truck traffic we have here, the haz-mat is out there. If we get two trains or two trucks to collide, we could have an issue on our hands. That thought motivates us to know how to handle that issue,” Crain said.

This week’s training is the first time since the KCST’s creation in 2003 that it has visited Pittsburg, although local fire crews have had training at other locations.

Lt. Col. Dirk Christian said that as part of his command of the group, he has made visiting the college towns in the state part of his mission, since so many people at a vulnerable age come in and out of the community. The KCST is scheduled for at least 60 training days a year, and usually does one major training each month.

The near 100-degree temperatures did cause a few more breaks to be planned and a few less full-dress walkthroughs. Two KCST members did suit up to show what the decontamination process is like. Afterward, Staff Sgt. Patrick Gordon said that the heat could not be ignored.

“It’s always hot in those things. We condition pretty hard, though so we don’t fall out,” Gordon said. “But days like today, it doesn’t matter. Especially if you’re working outside.”

Fire crews are getting hands-on training with the equipment, materials and procedures. But more important than that, they’re getting to interact with another line of defense.

“Now, we know each other. So if something does happen, we’re not meeting for the first time at the scene. We’ll know each other now,” Chew said.

Andrew Nash can be reached at andrew.nash@morningsun.net or by calling 231-2600 ext. 140.