Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - August 2, 2001
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

Locke announces Civil Support Team certification

OLYMPIA - Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld Friday awarded a readiness certification to the Washington National Guard’s Civil Support Team (10th CST). The certification was granted following a rigorous evaluation and review process by the U.S. Department of Defense that determined the Washington state unit was mission-capable.

The 10th CST consists of 22 highly skilled, full-time members of the Guard who are capable of assessing the impacts and response requirements for attacks involving chemical, biological and radiological materials.

Designed to be the first military responders on disaster scenes, the team will be under the control of the governor through the state's adjutant general or under federal control in certain circumstances.

The unit is designed to assess a situation, rapidly deploy, advise civil authorities and facilitate requests for additional assistance.

Washington joins New York and Colorado as the only states in the nation with certified civil support units.

“I am pleased that the 10th CST was awarded its certification,” Gov. Gary Locke said. “The men and women of this team deserve our respect and gratitude. With this certification, the unit has the capability to assist local, state and federal emergency response units during disasters.”

Additional teams in other states expect to be certified later this year. A total of 27 teams nationwide are in various stages of training in preparation for certification.

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Related Links:
- U.S. Department of Defense
- Washington National Guard

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