More than 30 firefighters with the Columbia-Richland Fire Department took part in a large-scale disaster drill on May 20, 2025 at the South Carolina Fire Academy. It was an annual exercise for SC Task Force 5 to meet requirements set by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The drill simulated an incident involving weapons of mass destruction in a large urban area. Firefighters were able to practice their skills searching for patients and making rescues following the simulated collapse of several large structures.
Members of SC Task Force 5 are deployed across the Palmetto State each year to provide assistance to areas hard hit by hurricanes and other natural disasters as well as during large-scale emergency incidents.
