The Reeves ICP was recently deployed to assist local first responders during “A Salute to all of Connecticut’s Veterans,” a three day air show organized by the Veterans of Foreign Wars honoring veterans from World War II to the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the men and women currently serving in the military. Held at Brainard Airport, the event featured vintage aircraft and was attended by more than 7,000 guests.

Working with local agencies, Connecticut’s Department of Public Health provided two of its DRASH shelters to serve as a command post and first aid station to help the various first responder units at the show. The shelters were originally purchased in 2005 to be part of the State’s 14,000 square foot Ottilie W. Lundgren Mobile field hospital.

Though tripping and falling are the most common injuries at shows like the one held at Brainard, agencies serving at the event viewed it as an opportunity to test their ability to respond to a possible emergency.

Throughout the show, personnel used the Reeves ICP and 6XBI and 6XB DRASH shelters to better communicate with one another and offer the space needed to treat any medical incidents.

Doug Whalen, Deputy Chief for Brainard Airport, explained “This is exactly what we need for a command post. In here we can hang up all of our worksheets and talk to one another. We have lighting, hook ups for electricity, printers, and televisions running.”

By serving as the central location in which emergency personnel could organize and execute their efforts, the Reeves ICP and DRASH shelters not only helped local first responders, but the show’s organizers as well.

Jerry O’Neill, the display coordinator of “A Salute to all of Connecticut’s Veterans,” suggested that both the community and air show benefited from Reeves’ presence.

“It’s been a real benefit because it’s pulled everyone together and provided the town and its emergency personnel with a training exercise, and it’s provided us with the ambulances and medical support we need,” observed O’Neill. “It’s been a pleasure to work with the Command Post.”