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STARRS Program Partners with Elite National Guard Unit to Conduct Disaster Response Exercises at Busch Stadium and Other Locations

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Busch Stadium will be the site of a 3-day emergency response exercise in July that includes the U.S. National Guard and dozens of other national, state, and local emergency responders.

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.

“Collaboration, coordination, and communication are essential to a successful emergency or disaster response,” said STARRS Director Samantha Lewis, who has been working with Task Force 46, federal, state, and local partners for the past five months to execute the drills. “Emergency and disaster response planning, training, and exercises are essential to utilize and deploy people and resources in the most effective way possible. Regular training and exercises can save lives. The region is fortunate to have this opportunity to partner with Task Force 46.”

Many of the emergency exercises will take place outside Busch Stadium. 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 drill scenario involves an 8.4 magnitude earthquake along the New Madrid Seismic Fault. The 3-day exercise simulate a focused response to structural damage, civilian casualties, and chemical contamination in the vicinity of Busch Stadium during a baseball game. Another focus for the exercise includes Multi-Role Bridge river crossings of the Mississippi River due to notionally damaged bridges.

The exercises will involve about 500 individuals, including local emergency responders, military responders, hospitals, and volunteers. The exercise will use military helicopters and vehicles, damaged vehicles and debris, and multiple staging areas in the vicinity of Busch Stadium.

Based out of Lansing, Michigan, Task Force 46 is a National Guard element that is deployed to provide command and support of military response forces in support of 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 continued to strengthen the collaboration between a variety of regional and local partners and responders, which further strengthens our response to disasters.

“It has been a fantastic opportunity to work with our regional and local partners alongside Task Force 46. Participating in joint exercises like this will only help us build more resiliency for our community,” she said.

STARRS is a region initiative house in East-West Gateway Council of Governments that coordinates with emergency responders across local jurisdictions to enhance the region’s capabilities to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from natural disasters, terrorism and large-scale industrial accidents and hazards.

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@ewgateway.org.

Local jurisdictions seeking guidance on how to communicate the exercises should also contact Nancy.Cambria@ewgateway.org.