Northern shield tested

By MAJ Brian Ardley

Firefighters arrive on the “accident scene” and remove casualties to a safe zone after washing them under the fire hose. This was part of Exercise Northern Shield 05, NORCOM’s contribution to the NT Government’s Exercise Outer Edge.

Photo by LAC Allan Cooper

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* More than 230 Defence personnel were involved in Exercise Northern Shield 05 to test NORCOM responses. HQNORCOM is the principal ADF point-of-contact to the NT Government. Its tasks include: Coordinating and liaising directly with Commonwealth, State, local government and civil community groups; Coordinating Defence Assistance to Civil Community tasks in the Top End; Managing ADF security-related issues in the NT and Kimberley regions; and Planning, practising and conducting protective and response operations.

HEADQUARTERS Northern Command (HQNORCOM) emergency incident procedures have been successfully tested during Northern Shield 05 (NS05).

NS05 was the ADF’s response component to a Northern Territory whole-of-government Incident Consequence Management Exercise (ICMEX).

The four-day exercise was designed to test and evaluate NORCOM’s response to a hypothetical terrorist attack on Darwin in which a chemical agent was unleashed, causing mass casualties.

As the exercise unfolded, HQNORCOM’s operational, planning and executive staff were kept busy responding to police, emergency services and welfare requests for Defence Assistance to Civil Community tasks, while more than 230 Defence personnel played victims of the attack, who needed decontamination and medical treatment.

The exercise provided an extra challenge to interoperability. Defence equipment and procedures are frequently tested in a wide range of scenarios.

However, many of the civilian procedures and equipment used during the ICMEX were being tested for the first time.

NORCOM Commander Commodore Cam Darby said he was pleased with the exercise.

“These exercises are very valuable in building understanding between Defence and civilian authorities and this exercise was no exception,” he said.

“NS05 tested both our [HQNORCOM’s] planning ability and our linkages with other agencies and emergency services in the North. From our perspective, it was very worthwhile.”

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