Contact: Elaine Tricoli
Phone: (336) 373-2421

‘Car Bomb’ Exercise Will Help Train
Greensboro’s Emergency Responders

GREENSBORO, NC – (May 14, 2008) – Tomorrow, terrorism comes to Greensboro.

The terrorism will be in the form of a simulated car bomb, and police, fire, and rescue teams will practice their coordination efforts in response to a post-blast incident, said Trent Walker, critical incident planning officer for the Greensboro Police Department.

“This is operations level training,” Walker said. “When you’re dealing with a large vehicle borne improvised explosive device – what’s commonly called a car bomb – it’s a very complex response, and you have to coordinate the efforts of several public safety agencies.” 

Although simulated, the incident will look real, Walker said.

The charred shell of a detonated vehicle will be placed in front of the former Post Office building at the corner of East Market and Bennett streets. The scene will include smoke, fire, body parts, and “victims” with realistic-looking injuries.

The Greensboro Fire Department will be the first to respond to the scene, followed by emergency medical personnel, and the GPD’s Bomb Squad, which will look for possible secondary explosive devices. The Police Department’s Mobile Command Unit will also be at the scene to help coordinate the efforts of the responding agencies.

But a car bomb? In Greensboro?

“Typically we think of a car bomb as something that happens in other countries,” Walker said, “But the fact is it can happen here. Terrorists and criminal organizations will take advantage of ‘soft targets,’ those communities that may not have the amount of money, equipment or expertise in dealing with these types of instances. We have critical infrastructure here in Greensboro that could be targeted, so we need to stay one step ahead.”

While this training exercise will benefit emergency crews in Greensboro, it will also benefit public safety agencies worldwide. Emergency Film Group, a Massachusetts company that produces emergency training DVDs and videos, will film the entire exercise. In the video, Greensboro’s bomb technicians will be the subject matter experts.

Walker said the company chose to shoot the video in Greensboro because of the proven inter-agency coordination between the area’s fire, EMS, law enforcement, and emergency management agencies.

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The City of Greensboro works in partnership with the community to build an increased quality of life for all residents by fostering an environment where inclusion, diversity, and trust are valued. As the seventh largest employer in Greensboro, the City has a dedicated professional staff of 2,700 employees who maintain four core values of honesty, integrity, stewardship, and respect. The City of Greensboro is governed by a council-manager form of government where a mayor and eight council members act as the legislative body. For more information on the City of Greensboro, please visit us online at www.greensboro-nc.gov.