Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is one of the nation’s busiest airports, servicing 51.8 million passengers and nearly 500,000 metric tons of cargo annually. It’s also one of the busiest ports of entry into the United States for foreign travel. Those are solid reasons for why the 10th Civil Support Team joined up with the Port of Seattle Fire Department and observers from the state Department of Health for a hazardous material recon and detection exercise at the fire department training area on Nov. 18, 2020.
“The scenario was simple -- a passenger from a foreign country carries a hazardous material with them on a flight,” said Maj. Wes Watson, commander of the 10th Civil Support Team. “It is detected as they enter customs, but now we need to survey the plane and help clear the scene. While it is simple, it is also a very complex exercise.”
The exercise started with a team from the Port of Seattle Fire Department identifying that they have found radiological materials on the plane.