BRUNSWICK

Emergency responders from throughout the state joined national and international teams Tuesday in responding to a simulated building collapse at the former Brunswick Naval Air Station as part of a four-day “Vigilant Guard” exercise.

Responders were simulating responses to a major winter storm, a bus accident with mass casualties, and other emergency situations.

Exercises began Tuesday and continue through Thursday. The focus is on interagency coordination among local, state and regional emergency response agencies in case of a catastrophic event.

Among today’s exercises are a simulated decontamination drill at Maine Medical Center in Portland and a mass-casualty exercise in Jackman.

The National Guard says this is the largest single emergency response exercise the Guard has ever organized, with more than 3,000 participants.

Brunswick’s drill, the largest in the state, is expected to draw hundreds of Army National Guardsmen and other first responders through Thursday.

“The idea is that it’s a perfect winter storm,” said Maj. Michael Steinbuchel, spokesman for the Maine Army National Guard. “All this is happening in the setting of this massive ice blizzard. That’s how we get the snow load (that causes the simulated building collapse).”

Brunswick firefighters responded just after 9 a.m. Tuesday to a remote road on the former Navy base for a mock report that Watson Ice Arena at Bowdoin College had collapsed. There was a potential fire at the site and white smoke rising from the building, Brunswick Deputy Fire Chief Jeff Emerson said at the scene.

Actors displaying various signs of trauma — including missing limbs, cuts and bruises — were scattered throughout the scene.

Firefighters soon determined the scene to be contaminated with ammonia gas, and retreated until hazardous materials-handling teams could arrive, Brunswick fire Capt. Bob Robitaille said.

Funded by U.S. Northern Command and the National Guard Bureau, a Vigilant Guard exercise takes place each year in a different state, according to Maj. Michael Steinbuchel, spokesman for the Maine Army National Guard. Previous drills have included a wildlife scenario in Colorado and a hurricane drill in Florida, he said. Maine is the first New England state to host such a drill, he said.

Other drills planned statewide include a hazardous materials threat at the University of Maine in Orono, a hazardous materials accident in Calais designed to involve a crossborder effort with Canadian responders, and a security incident at the State House in Augusta.

Information from The Associated Press was included in this report.

FOR MORE, see the Bangor Daily News at bangordailynews.com.

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