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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted at 3:35 p.m., Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Mock nuclear explosion drill tests home security

William Cole
Advertiser Staff

The state Department of Defense today started a two-day drill simulating the explosion of a half-kiloton nuclear device in Honolulu Harbor.

"Ground zero" for the mock explosion was transplanted for purposes of the exercise to Bellows Air Force Station, where an old runway was used to replicate the blast in the direction of the federal building.

Role players with simulated blackened and bloody injuries were decontaminated and treated at a nearby emergency operations center.

Officials said such a ground blast would result in 200 immediate fatalities, 3,000 to 8,000 casualties with injuries or radiation, and possibly 4,000 longer-term fatalities, depending on issues like population present at the time.

Nine crashed cars were jumbled in one area with bloodied role players inside representing a possible scene along Ala Moana Boulevard, where the 300 mile per hour blast created at ground zero would be strong enough to flip vehicles.

At least 15 federal, state and city agencies are taking part in the exercise, called 'a Kele.

Edward Teixeira, vice director of state Civil Defense, said the name of the exercise uses the Hawaiian words " 'a," for hot and fiery, and "kele," for impurity, signifying radiation.

The Homeland Security Council about two years ago developed 15 national planning scenarios, including simulating an "improvised nuclear device" explosion, to test security preparedness.

Hawai'i is believed to be the first state to conduct a nuclear explosion test involving federal, state and local representatives.

The Queen's Medical Center said it would test its trauma-center role in the exercise with mock decontamination and medical treatment.