"We train for what we hope never happens."

Those are the words of Major David Sellen, the head of the Nevada National Guard's 92nd Civil Support Team. [[AD-3-Right]]

Sellen and his team of 22 men were in Mesquite on Monday to train in responding to a biohazard.

The team is trained to respond to situations involving hazardous materials, including chemical, biological, and radiological materials.

Monday's six-hour session revolved around a scenario involving the "discovery" of a fictitious biohazard lab in an abandoned house near the Oasis Resort.

The morning began with the HazMat team arriving in more than a half-dozen unmarked dark blue vehicles, including a high-tech communications truck used to coordinate transmissions between local first responders such as the fire and police department, as well as military bands for communicating with technicians inside and outside the targeted area.

The truck even includes classified equipment that the newspaper was not permitted to photograph, as well as a special telephone system that, according to IT specialist Sgt. John Fansler, can call directly into the White House with the use of a special keycard.

The $1.8 million vehicle also houses a self-contained wireless computer network that handles live feeds from video cameras set up outside the target area, as well as handheld video cameras carried by the two-man crews working inside of a danger zone.

The video is instantly fed to a restricted website which can be monitored by computers within the communication vehicle, as well computers in other parts of the country.

The truck also carries two different kinds of satellite phones.

Another part of the site near Old Mill Road was set up as a decontamination zone.

Sgt. Jordan Clark, who has been with the team for five years, went step by step through the specific process of decontaminating the technicians as they leave the target area.

He stated that the first step is for the techs to remove and discard their gloves and boots while standing on a specially designed area of black plastic lining.

"Removing the boots and gloves removes about 90% of the contamination," Clark explained.

While still wearing their HazMat suits, the techs then go into a tent housing a five-head shower that covers the suits in water.

That water is drained and pumped into a specially designed 250 gallon bladder that holds the contaminated water until it is disposed of by licensed hazardous material disposal contractors.

After the watered and scrubbed suits are removed and discarded, the techs are scanned by a portable ICAM, or Improved Chemical Agent Monitor, as well as a special radiation detector that scans for beta, gamma, and x-ray radiation.

Clark confirmed that the suits, identified as Level A or Level B suits, are very hot to wear.

However, the team trains to be adept and capable while wearing the suits, even under the worst conditions.

"In the summer, whenever the temperature reaches between 110 and 118 degrees, we do heat dexterity training where we will suit up and walk a half mile out, then a half mile back," Clark said.

According to Capt. Jackie Lyle, the science officer and developer of Monday's scenario, tan Level B suits protect against airborne and liquid contaminants, with the wearer breathing filtered air.

The orange Level A suits protect against vapor and liquid hazards, and are large enough to accommodate self contained air tanks.

Inside the target area, an abandoned house sitting on top of a hill near I-15, teams of two worked their way through the upstairs and basement areas in search of the planted "lab."

The techs are equipped with personal chemical and radiological detection equipment.

Lyle explained that the teams are tasked with investigating and gathering samples of whatever biohazard is discovered.

The samples are placed into a stoppered glass vial, which is then wrapped in a plastic film much like Saran Wrap.

The package is then placed into a larger outer pack that is filled with absorbent material.

That pack is then capped and again wrapped with plastic film, then placed into a large ziploc bag.

The entire thing is then dunked into a decontamination tank of bleach solution to clear any residue before being removed from the site and taken to a mobile laboratory for a "presumptive analysis."
Samples are also sent to a state lab for confirmation.

According to Lyle, the scariest part of the job for the men inside is the fear of booby traps or other explosive items.

"It's the potential for unknown explosive devices."

"We don't do bomb detection," Lyle added, explaining that police department bomb squads were better suited for that task.

While Monday's training session was beneficial, Lyle knows that a real call could come at any time.

He was part of the team involved in the discovery of the extremely potent and toxic poison ricin which was found in a Las Vegas hotel room back in February of 2008.

While the HazMat team covers the entire state of Nevada, it has also lent a hand in other catastrophes.

Sellen explained that he went to New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina.

"We helped locate more than 11,000 containers of hazardous materials that had floated around," Sellen said, "We found everything from 55 gallon drums to rail cars filled with hazardous materials."

But it's taking care of the Nevada home front that humbles him.

"We're at war, and a lot of the focus is overseas," Sellen said near the end of Monday's day of training.

"It's good to know that the citizens of Nevada have something in place to protect them."

He also understands the gravity of what his team does.

"We can't afford to be wrong," Sellen said. "When we respond to something that turns out to be baby powder, that's a good day."

He and Lyle added that the people of Mesquite are also fortunate to have the benefit of dedicated first responders like the Mesquite Fire Department, and that the coordination between the department and the HazMat team was the most important part of Monday's exercise.

"We don't want to be exchanging business cards for the first time the day that something happens," Sellen said.

"You have a great first responder in the Mesquite Fire Department," Lyle agreed, pointing out that the face to face relationships developed on Monday would be a tremendous boon to the community in the event of an actual incident in the future.

Although, as Sellen originally pointed out, the hope is that such a day never comes.