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Show 8 The Magna TlmesWest Valley News .Thursday, June 8, 2000 nae LocalSclioo! Mock earthquake at Vv Pioneer Elementary It was a scene you never want to see in t real life terrific. Their A mock disaster is something you prepare for, but never want to experience the real thing. Seeing the children - scores of them - lying on the ground and inside a topsy-turv- y classroom resembling a n earthquake, is a horrible, but awakening feeling for area fire, police, C.E.R.T and emergency preparedness crews. A mock disaster is just that a situation that resembles, as close as possible, a real natural disaster. full-blow- -- Last Wednesday, Pioneer Elementary School, 3860 S. 3380 West in West Valley City, was site of the the mock disas-'e- r. It involved scores of chil- painted to simulate bleeding and bruising. Emergency crews included fire, police, paramedic and I MT technicians from West Valley City. They responded and carried out instructions as outlined by Central Control." Sure there were glitches in the procedure; that was expected. Its these foul-up- s that teach those making the mistakes to improve and hopefully not make the same mistakes if there ever was a disaster. The "procedure, outlined by safety experts and others, was designed to make the rescue and treatment plan work as smoothly as possible if it were the real thing. As the two-hodrill moved step by step, it became apparent that the rescue personnel were ur fitting into the groove and making fewer mistakes while accomplishing an almost overwhelming feat. The selected students - play if f ing the role of the victims - were by GARY R BLODGETT EDITOR H. RACHELLE GRAHAM STAFF WRITER dren 1 play-actin- g per- formances were Oscar winning! The majority of the injured students were found in a music room on the west end of the school. The room simulated being the hardest hit by the earthquake, and students were lying - painted with injuries and moaning and groaning - on the floor. They were carried outside on stretchers or assisted by medical technicians. A local firefighter was forting a little sandy-haire- .m com- sixth grader by singing Row, in a soft Row, Row Your Boat voice. If the mock disaster had been the real thing, hearing that song would have been a pleasant sound in the midst of such turmoil - A little piece of Heaven in a bloodbath of Hell. The mock simulated the destruction and harm caused by an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 (strong but not extreme). Although the WVC Fire Department conducts at least three drills each year, never has it conducted a drill of this 'proportion, according to a Fire Department spokesperson. The drill dealt primarily with testing the evacuation of the school, tracking students during evacuation, ability to treat injured students, management of a shelter at the school, and communications between the emer- 'onmiriD -- & . SaUtaST ,, - r Boneless Western Fcmily Sul - M cr SkwJr 1 """i H , - Banquet srircr PIS2T.3 orvAiuairj"'' m rfo "WHITE " cream o' Weber uimn TUnilGV . ' 7000 taum, a t WNt, TsrKrevmie mo o 2 99 r O VW ft Creen cdlcss" '' ...rrru UUis. . a Cr WHEAT" I :un f Red . Reams iesz. 702. i norbest "sacked lit B i. FGRtJ "CBSPIl TASTY" pzmnitn C7T Co)f? WVC emergency and safety crews were Pioneer Elementary School staff. Granite School churches. r sMt!i IP Jeno's suizzo Involved in the mock besides (C.E.R.T), Neighborhood Association teams, and local mdt fc D. other participating groups. Intervention Team, Community Emergency Response Team r mta f '2 vn O0& ; . 2 C3flST & , Red RIpa m vr-Jin- T Frcnco-Amerlre- n nur.:? gency management team and all District, PTA volunteers, American Red Cross, Crisis' Tonnrnm j LEAfJ "Family Pack" d ' ; or & 4 Country Charm is ot. fai Crzzn 4 ri vn ()(", fc.. - - j t f Riiiscs Q1 -J s y MM- k ito V l 5 fI y,. t J V rft f ' crrsctivr: mm, rnmmn 20 vmmt O0 ttemn owM 7TD0 MWt Wn( rnnll MC wwt Rrm tar Rrovt tpwi tewnf Oowcsi. 909 4t I SO Qcini'OO .. j |