The U.S. Army Medical Materiel Center, Europe (USAMMCE), conducted an Emergency Responder Exercise Sept. 6 at Husterhoeh Kaserne in Pirmasens, Germany.

About 125 responders from the German Red Cross, the Fire Departments of Pirmasens and Rodalben, the German Police, and USAMMCE personnel participated. Observers from all emergency services and the mayors of Pirmasens and Rodalben attended. To ensure safety, local experts set up the explosions.

The scenario tested a threat being received and a mock car bomb detonating in a parking lot with smaller devices going off in a building nearby, causing nine casualties. As part of the exercise, first responders evacuated the building next to the explosion site.

USAMMCE Soldiers manned the gates and inspected vehicles and personnel once they received the mock threat. First responders rendered first aide to the mock injured until the Red Cross arrived. The fire department arrived and extinguished the fires while the German police blocked off the scene.

The goal of the exercise was to test response times and provide the local emergency teams with an opportunity to test their capabilities under extreme conditions.

According to USAMMCE's Security Chief John Biles, the interaction between the local services and USAMMCE personnel went very well.