Personnel from Stafford County Fire and Rescue Department, and members of the Virginia National Guard simulate a full scale terror drill on Tuesday from a Stafford Fire and Rescue's, Joint Operations Center. This year's annual National Guard homeland security response drill, called "Irish Heat," simulates a radioactive bomb exploding in northern Virginia. Locally the event task personnel with mitigation of simulated incidents at Stafford Hospital and Stafford Regional Airport. In the heavily manned joint operations center, they helped with traffic control and set up mock safe shelters at local schools.
Stafford County's proximity to the nation's capital and its local airport, were factors in it being the only locality tapped to participate.
