Posted on 09/21/2004 7:24:51 PM PDT by lost in the snow
Mock attack will test terrorism response Monday, September 20, 2004 By Lynn Moore CHRONICLE STAFF WRITER Terrorists will strike a busload of students in the Whitehall area on Tuesday, killing more than a half-dozen and sending dozens more to hospitals.
It's not a crystal ball that allows such a disaster to be foreseen. It's all in the plans -- disaster preparedness plans, that is.
The disaster won't be real, but it will look real, and the participants -- including students, emergency room personnel and firefighters -- will act as if it's real.
The exercise, one that is becoming familiar in the post 9/11 era, is part of attempts by emergency responders and Muskegon County school districts to prepare for the worst.
The exercise, which will involve the aftermath of a supposed explosion on a school bus at 9:30 a.m. at Durham and Holton-Whitehall roads in Whitehall Township, is being funded by homeland security grants awarded to several area school districts and Muskegon County.
Local school district transportation directors instigated the exercise because they wanted to test their abilities to respond to emergencies, said Tom Spoelman, transportation consultant for the Muskegon Area Intermediate School District. They eventually hooked up with Muskegon County Emergency Services, and planning for the event has been under way for about a year, Spoelman said.
The exercise will test not only school transportation directors, but also the Muskegon County Emergency Operations Plan, which involves many agencies throughout the county.
About 60 middle and high school students from Reeths-Puffer and Whitehall public schools will be part of the exercise, according to Kristin Tank, public information coordinator for the MAISD. Local law enforcement agencies, fire departments, human service agencies, transportation services and medical services will participate.
Students from Muskegon Community College and Reeths-Puffer will assist in applying makeup to add to the reality of the gruesome scene. Between 200 and 300 people will observe the exercise, including school bus drivers, school administrators, emergency personnel and evaluators from agencies across the state who will provide feedback.
The exercise will simulate an attack by a fictitious radical group called Wackos Against Schools and Education who believe everyone should be homeschooled. Under the scenario, a bomb is placed on the bus and is detonated while the bus is traveling on Durham, causing the bus to land on its side and fill with smoke.
The exercise will begin with the bus -- an out-of-service vehicle donated by Ravenna Public Schools -- on its side, having been placed there by Dale's 24 Hour Towing Service, which is donating its time and resources. Fire departments will respond and test their abilities to get at victims inside a mangled bus.
Hackley and Mercy General both will be able to test their new emergency rooms, each of which will get between 15 and 20 "victims." Eight or nine deceased students, represented by mannequins, will be transported to the county morgue, Tank said.
Frantic parents will be part of the staged disaster, flocking to schools and hospital emergency rooms.
The exercise is similar to an event staged a year ago at Heritage Landing that involved a mock chemical disaster, which also was the supposed work of terrorists and tested the county's emergency preparedness.
White Lake Fire Authority Chief Bob Phillips said his department is lucky to be heavily involved in Tuesday's exercise by virtue of the location planners chose.
"The potential exists (for a devastating incident) every day the school buses are on the road," Phillips said. "It's not something that happens a lot, but it's something we need to be trained in.
"That's what we're hoping for is to learn what works and what doesn't work before an incident actually happens."
© 2004 Muskegon Chronicle.
"The exercise will simulate an attack by a fictitious radical group called Wackos Against Schools and Education who believe everyone should be homeschooled. Under the scenario, a bomb is placed on the bus and is detonated while the bus is traveling on Durham, causing the bus to land on its side and fill with smoke. "
Homeschool terrorists?????? Perhaps they will put underwear on their heads and taunt them with higher SAT scores and Nation Spelling Bee awards. I will leave it to you to draw your own conclusions....... URL is http://www.mlive.com/news/muchronicle/index.ssf?/base/news-5/109569331454310.xml
and by the way- I am a long time lurker, but newbie poster, so be gentle.
This so reeks of political correctness!
Why not call the obvious? Or are we afraid of offending the Practitioners of the Religion of Peace?
risk management? ;) Don't you just love the title of their little exercise?
:: grumbling ::
Sheesh!! I can only assume they were trying to come up with something as far fetched as they could.
HSing ping
How about bias?
That's a more generous and positive thought than what I was thinking. Good for you!
LOL!! I'm no usually accused of THAT!! He he he!! ;o)
bad link and you signed up.....tomorrow?
"This so reeks of political correctness!
Why not call the obvious? Or are we afraid of offending the Practitioners of the Religion of Peace?"
GREAT POINT. This stinks! Call a spade a spade please.
I think you're being too kind. I think they were trying to come up with the most anti-school thing they could that didn't involve Muslims or any other PC-protected group.
There is no article.
Wasn't it 19 christian home-schoolers who hi-jacked planes and flew them into the world trade centers...
Link works here.
As for signup dates, a frequently asked question, they're stamped with GMT, no matter what the poster's location.
You could be right -- I definitely wouldn't argue with ya!
Funny, DU did a poll yesterday and they feared fundamental christians much more than radical islamics.
My bad, I checked again and the article came up.
Stupid foul, ill mannered, mean spirtied MI rats. That's all there is to it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.