2008 Woodie Awards
SectionsDrill aims to train emergency responders
Robin Hoover
Issue date: 11/13/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
Hammons Field was host to a drill where Springfield emergency responders gathered to execute a scenario of volunteers' exposure to a hazardous material Friday.
"This drill will give our Homeland Security Response Team members a chance to practice working together and coordinating with the 7th Civil Support Team," Ryan Nicholls, director of the Springfield-Greene County office of emergency management said in a news-release Nov. 8.
About 50 volunteers showed up to help aide the emergency responders during the drill by playing the victims.
The volunteers were given the scenario that someone in the stadium had sprayed some hazardous material that may have infected some volunteers and they were to go through decontamination.
Jenny Edwards, Greene Cou-nty public information officer said 911 was called, and they responded and set up the decontamination tent, but they were aware it was a drill.
Edwards said the decontamination process would normally consist of the contaminated people removing all their clothes, but she said they decided that wasn't necessary during the drill.
"The volunteers stripped down their outer layer of clothing then they go through decontamination," Edwards said.
The decontamination process had three steps; removal of their clothes, their bodies being rinsed with water and medical attention.
During decontamination, a respondent simulated a broken leg and was rushed out of the decontamination tent on a stretcher.
Following the decontamination, a SWAT team of about six entered the stadium and searched for the person who was responsible for releasing the chemical into the stadium.
"They are looking for the person that released the substance, they have reason to believe he or she is in there," Edwards said.
After a short search they found the supposed suspect in the bathroom and he was removed.
Louise Bigley, senior nursing major and volunteer at the drill said, "The scenario, as we understood, was that we were on a tour and they took us to put us in a safe place, waiting (for decontamination)."
"We were in the holding area for quite some time," Bigley said. "It was a little scary, thinking about going through that process and having to de-robe."
Nicholls said he was satisfied with the outcome of the drill.
The drill lasted from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
"This drill will give our Homeland Security Response Team members a chance to practice working together and coordinating with the 7th Civil Support Team," Ryan Nicholls, director of the Springfield-Greene County office of emergency management said in a news-release Nov. 8.
About 50 volunteers showed up to help aide the emergency responders during the drill by playing the victims.
The volunteers were given the scenario that someone in the stadium had sprayed some hazardous material that may have infected some volunteers and they were to go through decontamination.
Jenny Edwards, Greene Cou-nty public information officer said 911 was called, and they responded and set up the decontamination tent, but they were aware it was a drill.
Edwards said the decontamination process would normally consist of the contaminated people removing all their clothes, but she said they decided that wasn't necessary during the drill.
"The volunteers stripped down their outer layer of clothing then they go through decontamination," Edwards said.
The decontamination process had three steps; removal of their clothes, their bodies being rinsed with water and medical attention.
During decontamination, a respondent simulated a broken leg and was rushed out of the decontamination tent on a stretcher.
Following the decontamination, a SWAT team of about six entered the stadium and searched for the person who was responsible for releasing the chemical into the stadium.
"They are looking for the person that released the substance, they have reason to believe he or she is in there," Edwards said.
After a short search they found the supposed suspect in the bathroom and he was removed.
Louise Bigley, senior nursing major and volunteer at the drill said, "The scenario, as we understood, was that we were on a tour and they took us to put us in a safe place, waiting (for decontamination)."
"We were in the holding area for quite some time," Bigley said. "It was a little scary, thinking about going through that process and having to de-robe."
Nicholls said he was satisfied with the outcome of the drill.
The drill lasted from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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