Joint Task Force 781 CERFP The 78th Homeland Response Force’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and/or Nuclear (CBRN) Response Force Package (CERFP), also known as the Joint Task Force (JTF) 781 CERFP, is comprised of four elements staffed by approximately 400 personnel from previously established National Guard units. The CERFP team ensures that the Governor and Adjutant General have the capabilities to mitigate risks associated with collapsed structure (confined space) rescue, medical triage and stabilization, mass decontamination, and the recovery of fatalities resulting from a CBRN incident.
4th WMD Civil Support Team The 22 personnel of the 4th Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Civil Support Team (CST) provide support to civil authorities at domestic chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) incident sites by offering identification and assessment of hazards. The unit also advises civil authorities and facilitates the arrival of follow-on military forces during emergencies. The 4th CST is comprised of full-time Army and Air National Guard personnel. The structure of the unit is divided into six 33 | Georgia Department of Defense
The JTF 781 CERFP supports FEMA Region IV for defense support to civil authorities-type missions. The Georgia Guard has one of 12 validated CERFPs in the country. The CERFP teams function as either follow-on or prepositioned forces, working closely with deployed weapons of mass destruction civil support teams (WMD-CSTs) to provide a robust National Guard response capability. The CERFP teams are specially trained to integrate into the national incident command system to conduct life-saving actions within a contaminated environment. In September, JTF 781 supported operations at the National Level Exercise Vigilant Guard 2012. “Vigilant Guard” reinforced that all incidents are local. The exercise
demonstrated the capabilities of the National Guard Joint Force Headquarters, the Joint Task ForcePanther, 78th HRF, JTF 781, and the Emergency Management Assistance Compact – the process where governors reach out to other governors for more assistance. Specific National Guard homeland defense capabilities will include the Homeland Response Force’s Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Teams and CERFP teams. In addition, JTF 781 also supported the U.S. Secret Serviceappointed National Special Security Event with DSCA for the Democratic National Convention. The unit staged at Camp McCrady, S.C. and continued inter-agency training with South Carolina fire fighters at the South Carolina Fire Academy.
sections: command; operations; communications; administration/ logistics; medical/analytical; and survey. Each CST deploys to an incident site using its own organic assigned vehicles, which include a command vehicle, operations trailer, the unified command suite, an analytical laboratory system vehicle, and several general-purpose vehicles. The CST can also be moved by air, rail, commercial truck, or ship. The 4th CST was one of the first ten CST units originally established by the U.S. Department of Defense. In 2012, Georgia’s 4th CST was active across the state, training with first responders at Cobb County Safety Village, providing vital support for large-draw events and technical assistance for Secret
Service-appointed National Special Security Events with defense support to civil authorities for the Democratic National Convention, support of other National Level Exercises, and was called to action for six “real- world” responses in 2012. Most recently, the 4th CST participated in a WMD training exercise with the Office of Secure Transportation with the National Nuclear Security Administration. The exercise underscored the value the CST brings to the state and other federal agencies in the event that a CBRN incident exceeds the capability of local responders to control. The CST can deploy 24 hours-a-day, 365 days-a-year to assist the state of Georgia and other FEMA region IV states.