CERFP External Evaluation

Members of the Florida National Guard’s CERFP transport injured patients following a simulated chemical attack as part of a CERFP External Evaluation, Sept. 22, 2023 at Camp Blanding Joint Training Center, Florida. The CERFP, or CBRNE Enhanced Response Force Package, includes more than 200 Soldiers and Airmen from many Air and Army units who form one CERFP unit in the wake of a catastrophe. CERFP units comprise five major elements including command and control, search and extraction, decontamination, medical support, and fatality search and recovery in which teams are evaluated on their ability to immediately respond to a CBRNE incident. During the exercise, teams conducted a site search of collapsed buildings and structures, performed rescue tasks to extract trapped casualties, facilitated mass decontamination measures, performed medical triage and initial treatment to stabilize patients for transport to medical facilities, and recovered CBRN incident fatalities. Each element — CBRN, medics, decontamination, search and extraction, and FSRT (fatality, search and recovery team) — was evaluated as part of the total force response. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech Sgt. Chelsea Smith)