D-M, local agencies unite for joint emergency exercise Published Oct. 2, 2007 By 130907 DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- The Southern Arizona VA Health Care System, Pima County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, Tucson Fire Department, Arizona Disaster Medical Assistance Team, and several other local agencies and hospitals will convene here Sep. 17 for the beginning of a National Disaster Medical System joint exercise. The purpose of the exercise will be to monitor the reception of simulated patients arriving from a disaster-stricken location out of state. The patients will "arrive" at the base via a cargo aircraft, then be divided and transported to the various hospitals in the Tucson area. It will provide a training environment for multidepartmental and multijurisdictional involvement, requiring all emergency response agencies and organizations to work with a shared purpose. As the NDMS' designated Federal Coordinating Center, SAVAHCS is responsible for coordinating a patient-reception plan with the local emergency medical system and hospitals. It is also charged with testing that plan at least every three years by conducting a joint exercise. Evaluators will focus heavily on the areas of notification, communication, incident command, and patient tracking.