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Show Souifi CetM Uiolt o Supplement To: Gunnison Valley News - The Salina Sun Garfield County News - The Richfield Reaper VOLUME 2 NUMBER 17 THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 1981 Mock Explosion Disaster Shows Strengths, Weaknesses of County's Emergency System A Highway Patrol trooper was on hand for crowd control purposes but this did not prove necessary with teachers on hand to manage students not in- by Nancy Bales Spotlight Staff Writer terrified shriek. Do . . her! Another for something . It blew up! Yet another, dazedly . . . Help him, hes dying! Moaning . . . crying. Students in varied stages of shock moved about the room, disbelieving. Thick clouds of A volved. The trooper smoke billowed, confusion reigned. Mangled bodies mingled with broken furniture as black clouds of smoke filled the room, heightening hysteria. Television cameras would roll, video tapes record, official observers note every detail and news cameras flash as emergency forces began to respond. Knowledge of the prearranged mock disaster, a simulated boiler explosion, had been shared by only a few key individuals. It was designed to test overall for mobilizing the backup ambulance. All patients were triaged (excedure emergency amined and divided into groups of most critically injured for transport) at the scene of the explosion, again at the hospital and treated or admitted by 3:30 all clear p.m. when the was the hospital given by signal response skills of law enforcement, volunteer fire fighter emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and personnel at nearby Garfield Memorial Hospital. The exercise was a well coordinated learning activity for all agencies involved but particularly for personnel at both the hospital and Panguitch High School. The exericse in emergency response is required twice yearly as part of accreditation of the hospital through Intermountain Health Care Systems, Inc. To In any accident or disaster with multiple Injuries doc- tors must make quick evaluation and assessment of each patient immediate needs. Here Dr. Stan Bezek conducts just such a patient survey . have did however, assist in handling traffic control at the main intersection near the school, enabling easier departure for the ambulance units to the hospital. The hospital, upon alert, was prepared for arrival of victims in five minutes, however, the first ambulance to respond took a period of ten minutes. The problem, discovered later was a new EMT who misunderstood the page message in going curectly to the high school. The second ambulance did not arrive at the hospital for another 30 minutes due to a new employee not knowing the pro- administrator. It was found from this mock drill that phone listing for several air ambulance centers i.e. Las Vegas and Grand Junction were not readily available and should be made so for future reference. Additional personnel not utilized in the mock drill would the exercise simulate as closely as possible an actual boiler explosion, smoke was generated in the targeted classroom through burning of small amounts of black powder in the facility. Furniture was strewn about the room and twenty students were selected and made-u- p to simulate actual explosion victims. Many students appeared to have severe burns, lacerations, broken bones, some spinal injuries, breathing complications and head injuries. An evaluation meeting with representatives from all interested agencies was held the week following the simulated calamity. Constructive com- be pharmacy technicians. Discussion of the pharmacys role determined that likely drugs which would be used in a disaster i.e. pain killers, antibiotics, should be identified. This information should be in cluded in the disaster plan. Pharmacists could immediately take inventory at the outset of a disaster and locate additional sources if needed. It was noted here that Utah Highway Patrol could be utilized in transporting drugs on an emergency basis. Discussion of needed blood supply; was brought up at the evaluation and it was noted that some 20 donors were identified and readied during the mock drill. As Garfield County is so remote in terms of access to additional medical facilities or supplies the mention of Civil Air Patrol assistance was made. Red Cross Blood Centers are located in both Richfield and St. George. It was thought that CAP might be used to transport both additional blood and additional health care personnel as needed in a disaster. They will be contacted and information such as phone listing for CAP will be included in the disaster plan. As this disaster drill will be initiated again at some future date it was noted that visitors to the hopsital and others, some patients, were not made aware this was a drill only. This must be a specific assignment for nurses and business personnel at the hospital. Although traffic control was not a major problem during the drill the potential is there. Many parents, family and friends would be flocking to the hospital in the event of an actual disaster. The Administrator will assign someone specifically to monitor traffic in the parking area keeping emergency entrance open at all times. (Continued on Page 8) ments were received and recorded by hospital administrator subsequently updated Kruse and worked into an Bob hospital disaster plan. At the outset of the disaster drill, high school personnel called the fire department, ambulance service and local law enforcement, stating that the emergency was only a simulated one but that involv-meof all agencies would be appreciated in the learning activity. nt The volunteer fire depart- ment arrived within two minutes as well as Utah Highway Patrol troopers. fire fighters upon exercise was a the hearing drill only did largely return to work as many were businessmen in the downtown section of town. A couple who However, Upon arriving at Scene of simulated disaster, EMT Kim Proctor transmits important information concerning on HU site evaluation of the calamity back to waiting hopsita! personnel. were also trained EMTs were able to stay and assist. I Students involved in the mock disaster drill were given amazingly realistic injuries for EMTs to treat. Here EMT Lowell Vee Henrie, Jr. puts in extensive EMT training to good use. |