By Clay LePard
clepard@cbs4qc.com
There were people screaming and a car exploding.
It was quite a day at the Rock Island Arsenal; but don't worry, it was only a terrorism drill.
Responders from two dozen agencies help to make this simulation of a car explosion as realistic as possible.
"When it's so unpredictable, just knowing that our guards or response people have this training, it makes me feel more secure just working here," says Emma Augustine, a volunteer victim in today's drill.
"It's also neat to see the responders do what they do," adds Capt. Andy Burrows, also a volunteer victim.
The drill also gave the top brass a chance to scrutinize their men and women and make sure they have all the right training.
"Without that you think you're okay, you think you can get things done," says Joel Himsl, Garrison manager at the Arsenal. "But if you have the ability to have someone really look at and scrutinize you - that's really precious."
And Arsenal leaders say today's drill gives them a huge vote of confidence. "
We're prepared, we're ready, we're equipped," says John Ramsdell, Director of emergency services at the Arsenal. "We're trained to deal with just about any emergency or contingency that would present itself here on the Rock Island Arsenal."
Arsenal leaders say they will continue to practice drills like this every few years to make sure they are ready in case of an emergency.
