BD-US DREE begins Sep 17

DHAKA: The United States Government, through the US Army Pacific (USARPAC), in conjunction with the Government of Bangladesh and the Armed Forces Division (AFD), will conduct the 2012 Disaster Response Exercise & Exchange (DREE) to better prepare both countries’ parties for a catastrophic earthquake in Bangladesh from September 17.

From September 17 to 20, the DREE will be conducted in Dhaka by USARPAC and AFD, in collaboration with the US Embassy Dhaka.  

Additional US participation includes the Oregon National Guard, 18th Medical Command, Tripler Army Medical Center, and the US Army Corps of Engineers.  

The event is being funded by the US Pacific Command.  The exercise will be led by the US Army Pacific Civil-Military Operations Department and the US Army Corps of Engineers.

DREE activities are important to local communities both in Bangladesh and the United States because they showcase efforts to prepare for disasters before they occur.  

By preparing ahead of time, each country can mitigate issues that may arise before an actual disaster takes place, leaving them more prepared to provide vital public services that citizen’s demand.  

Without these preparation efforts, communication, collaboration, and interoperability would be dramatically reduced, increasing the potential for loss of life and property.

The DREE will emphasize field preparedness to a mass casualty earthquake event affecting Dhaka.  

The response exercise will commence with presentations focused on future trends in disaster management and earthquake preparedness, as well as an overview of what resources already exist in Bangladesh to respond to and recover from large-scale disasters.  

It will be followed by a Table Top Exercise and Field Training Exercise.  Both exercise activities will allow USARPAC and the Government of Bangladesh to test communications, practice search and rescue measures, assess complex situations, and respond to medical scenarios.

This is the third iteration of the USARPAC DREE, and marks the first time USARPAC and the Government of Bangladesh have practiced disaster response activities in a field environment.

BDST: 1925 HRS, SEP 15, 2012

Edited by: Abul Kalam Azad, Newsroom Editor/ M. Mahbub Alam, Asst Output Editor