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(source)FEMA search teams from around the country had a chance to practice their skills Thursday in Virginia Beach.

During a training exercise, the teams practiced finding victims of disaster.

“We’ll work this direction,” said one search team member to another.

Search teams headed into the woods with a trained dog leading the way, looking for supposed tornado victims.

“I think they found someone over there,” says another team member.

“Hey, this is the rescue team, can you hear us,” asks a rescuer, “Are you trapped right now?”

As one man crawls out of a concrete pipe, another supposed victim is still stuck inside.

It can be difficult to predict disaster; however, that doesn’t mean that there are not ways to prepare to help disaster victims. Drills like this one will help response agencies to learn to work together, to communicate more effectively so that when disaster strikes, it’s possible to act quickly and to be there for the victims.

When responders are prepared, when they can communicate effectively and react quickly, victims are likely to benefit.