Statewide Disaster Drill Unites 30+ Agencies in Preparedness Effort
Federal, state, and local agencies worked together to conduct real-world training scenarios based on a simulated catastrophic earthquake.A simulated 7.5 magnitude earthquake along the New Madrid Seismic Zone shook statewide training for a week in May as personnel from the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency joined the Tennessee Military Department and more than 30 other partnering agencies for Vigilant Guard 2025. The disaster response exercise gave participants the opportunity to activate and employ their response plans to strengthen coordination, communication, and response capabilities across the state.
“The more we work alongside one another, the more we fine-tune our policies and procedures," said Maj. Gen. Warner Ross, Tennessee’s Adjutant General. "Building these relationships are vital to our effectiveness, and continuing to practice what we do will make all of us much better when it’s time to respond to the real thing.”
With efforts coordinated through the State Emergency Operations Center in Nashville and local agencies, responders managed situations ranging from search and rescue to critical site security, and infrastructure failure response - all incidents that could be possible if this disaster were to occur.
One of the main training events simulated the evacuation of hospital patients in Memphis, as local leaders visited the site to see firsthand what the response would look like. The 531st Hospital Center established a field hospital at Millington-Memphis Airport simulating medical treatment as Wyoming National Guard medics provided medical treatment aboard a C-17 Globemaster III from the Tennessee National Guard's 164th Airlift Wing.
"It was one of the largest exercises in Tennessee history," said TEMA Exercise Director Matt Bush. "We had more than 1,000 players over eight days of exercise play and spent more than 18 months planning it."
Thank you to all participants, partners, and support personnel for their hard work and throughout Vigilant Guard 2025 - your dedication ensures Tennessee is better prepared to serve and protect its communities during emergencies. You can see more from Vigilant Guard 2025 here.