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Marines, Sailors and other emergency response proponents packed
the lawns of Marina Green Park with static displays for the
humanitarian assistance and disaster relief village display in San
Francisco, California, Oct. 9, as part of San Francisco Fleet Week
2015.
For the past 35 years, Marines and Sailors have flooded
the streets of San Francisco for one week each year. SFFW is a
week-long event that blends a unique training and education program,
bringing together key civilian emergency responders and Naval
crisis-response forces.
The HADR village showcased the
military's operating platforms and demonstrated to the Bay Area
residents Marine Corps and Navy logistical capabilities that can
provide a relief effort in the event of a disaster occurring.
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A San Francisco resident poses in explosive ordnance disposal armor with Task Force San Francisco during a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief at Marina Green Park
on Oct. 9, 2015 as part of San Francisco Fleet Week 2015. SFFW 15' is a week-long event that blends a unique training and education program, bringing together key civilian emergency responders and Naval crisis-response forces to exchange best practices focused on humanitarian assistance disaster relief with particular emphasis on defense support to civil authorities. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Pfc. Devan Gowans)
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Passersby witnessed logistical armament such as heavy
utility vehicles, a field medical facility, and explosive
ordnance disposal gear, along with other advanced equipment
pertinent to humanitarian assistance efforts. The event also
hosted exhibits from civilian first responders in order to
strengthen a bond with the military and showcase a
cooperative spirit that will play into relief efforts
following a disaster.
“The civilian authorities and
response agencies know that there is an inevitability that
we will be working shoulder-to-shoulder with our armed
forces to provide the disaster support that we need to our
communities that are affected,” said Jeff Myers, the
assistant deputy chief of emergency medical services with
the Task Force San Francisco.
With a history of
devastating earthquakes, city officials understand the value
of disaster readiness. The resources that will be needed to
provide aid will be substantial, and the city is preparing
now to ensure that the citizens of San Francisco County are
taken care of when necessary.
Throughout the
afternoon, the park was bursting with kind greetings between
service members, first responders and San Francisco
residents eager to express their hospitality towards one
another.
As the service members have been displaying
what they would do for the people of San Francisco in the
event of a disaster, they have been met with positive
response, said Master Gunnery Sgt. Michael S. Parker, Task
Force San Francisco.
“The citizens have been very
warm and open to the [Marine and Sailors] out in town and
strong community relations, as well as a solid support for
military and government is what we are trying to build
upon,” Parker added.
As the military and civil
emergency services offer a visible presence in the San
Francisco community, the service members and first
responders want the Bay Area residents to understand that
they are here for them, will provide for them, ensure their
safety and respond to any disaster as appropriately as
possible, said Sgt. Mark Moreno, Task Force San Francisco.
By U.S. Marine Corps Pfc. Devan Gowans
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2015
The U.S. Marines
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