SALT LAKE CITY — Members of the Utah National Guard and civilians with the Department of Public Safety traveled to Kenitra,Morocco for a two week exercise, known as Gharb-Utah Joint Rapid Response. The exercise was designed to showcase the interoperability that Utah has developed within its emergency management community by sharing this expertise with its Moroccan military counterparts. “The objectives of this event are to strengthen our bilateral partnership, familiarize each other with our policies and procedures when responding to disasters and exercise emergency operations center respons
SALT LAKE CITY — Members of the Utah National Guard and civilians with the Department of Public Safety traveled to Kenitra,Morocco for a two week exercise, known as Gharb-Utah Joint Rapid Response. The exercise was designed to showcase the interoperability that Utah has developed within its emergency management community by sharing this expertise with its Moroccan military counterparts. “The objectives of this event are to strengthen our bilateral partnership, familiarize each other with our policies and procedures when responding to disasters and exercise emergency operations center response functions,” explained Lt. Col. Chris Caldwell, lead planner for the Utah National Guard. The Utah National Guard, partnering with civilian agencies in state government, has built a strong relationship with Morocco over the past ten years, and although Utah Guardmembers train with the Moroccan military every year, this exercise is significant because it is the “first-ever interagency exchange focusing on disaster response,” explained Caldwell. Utah is taking military personnel to Morocco with expertise in disaster management along with civilians representing Unified Fire, Salt Lake County Emergency Management, Utah Division of Emergency Management and Utah Department of Health. Under the auspices of the military’s State Partnership Program, Utah has worked diligently to foster a good relationship with Morocco. Recognizing this relationship, the Army’s Africa Command made this year's event possible by providing special funding through their Disaster Planning and Preparedness Program.
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