![](https://www.ewgateway.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/busch-stadium-300x200.jpg)
Drivers heading into Downtown St. Louis via Highway 64/40 on July 15-17 will likely get a firsthand look at how the region would respond in the event of a major disaster.
EWG’s St. Louis Area Regional Response System (STARRS) is partnering with the elite U.S. National Guard Unit Task Force 46 and dozens of local and regional emergency responders to conduct three days of exercises to ensure the region is fully prepared for a catastrophic event. Nobody likes to think about natural and human-caused disasters, yet preparedness for large category tornados, earthquakes, chemical spills, and attacks is critical.
“Disaster response is only as strong as its coordination and intensive training,” said STARRS Director Samantha Lewis, who has been working with Task Force 46 and local emergency responders for the past five months to execute the drills. “You can have all of the equipment and all of the manpower, but if these resources are not organized nor deployed properly, they will not be fully effective. These exercises truly can save thousands and thousands of lives. The region is fortunate to have Task 46 as a tremendous training partner.”
Many of the emergency exercises will take place outside Busch Stadium near its southwest entrance and the parking lots near and south of the highway. Drivers are likely to see military vehicles, helicopters, emergency tents and rescue exercises, and they are reminded to drive safely with their eyes on the road despite the possible distractions. The public is also asked to kindly stay away from the drill areas so first responders and military personnel can focus on the critical training they need to save lives during a disaster.
The scenario exercises are in response to a fictitious 8.4 magnitude earthquake along the New Madrid Seismic Fault that hinders local emergency response and requires support from branches of the military. The Busch Stadium exercises will include responding to structural damage and stabilization of damaged buildings, search and rescue missions, casualty transport, and toxic chemical decontamination during a a fictional baseball game with 44,125 fans. Another exercise includes the assembly of a ferry transport system for emergency crossings of the Missouri River between St. Charles and Grafton in response to damaged bridges. A third will address a railcar derailment and the release of fuel and toxic chemicals.
The exercises will involve about 500 individuals, including local emergency responders, National Guard responders, hospitals, and volunteers. The exercise will use military helicopters and vehicles, damaged vehicles and debris, and multiple staging areas involve search and rescue of mass casualties, domestic terrorism activity, and chemical decontamination. In addition to the Busch Stadium area, locations include the Missouri River crossing between Grafton and St. Charles, and the BNSF rail yard in St. Louis.
Based out of Lansing, Michigan, Task Force 46 is an elite command that supports military response with civilian responders to manage catastrophic chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear incidents. This is the first time the St. Louis area has been chosen to host the full-scale, multi-domain exercises. Last year, Task Force 46 conducted similar exercises in Nashville.
Lewis, of EWG, said planning the exercises has already sparked invaluable collaboration and strong communication between a variety of regional and local responders, which further strengthens our emergency response system.
“It’s been exciting to watch teams work together and devise solutions so they are prepared to do their best if an emergency happens,” she said.
Members of the media wanting to obtain closeup photographs or video footage of the exercises at Busch Stadium must pre-register for a media tour on the afternoon of Monday, July 15. For more information, contact Nancy Cambria.
Local jurisdictions seeking guidance on how to communicate the exercises should also contact Cambria.