West
Nothing on web but a hospital in Cal. being evaulated... did find this...
Updated: 09-23-2004 04:44:26 PM
Washington DC Conducts Mass Casualty Exercise
BRIAN WESTLEY
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) - A bomb rips apart a sport utility vehicle as dozens of workers stream in and out of a busy downtown office building. The explosion rattles an entire city block, knocking people to the ground - killing some and leaving others injured.
That frightening mock scenario played out Thursday at an abandoned parking lot on the campus of St. Elizabeths Hospital in Southeast Washington, giving first responders in the nation's capital a chance to prepare for such an emergency in today's post-Sept. 11 world.
Within minutes of the ``blast,'' a half-dozen fire trucks and ambulances rushed to the scene, sirens blaring. After the smoke subsided, rescuers roped off the area, checking on ``victims'' and placing some on stretchers. All the while, a helicopter swirled above.
The drill was part of two days of field exercises in the city, which were to continue Friday at Catholic University of America. Hundreds of District of Columbia firefighters, police officers and other health workers are participating in the so-called ``mass casualty exercise.''
``This is probably the largest such drill we've had in the district to test our response,'' said Dr. Gregg A. Pane, acting director of the D.C. Department of Health. The city routinely conducts similar exercises - but on a smaller scale - to stay on alert, he said.
Although participants in Thursday's drill were just pretending, they were using some of the same equipment that would be needed had the situation been real - including gas masks, hazardous materials suits and bulky fire-protective gear.
Within 15 minutes of the mock explosion, a decontamination area was established a short distance away. A yellow tent was set up to assess the victims' injuries and provide first aid. Red tape also was unraveled, labeling the area a ``hot zone.''
Some victims treated Thursday's exercise as a game, laughing as they were escorted to safety.
Authorities said they planned to use the exercise to evaluate how well the city's various emergency response teams are able to communicate using scanners, pagers, and health alert networks. For instance, emergency medical technicians coordinated with staffers at area hospitals to juggle how many patients could be sent to each emergency room.
Mental health workers also were on hand to see how many counselors were needed to meet with rescuers.
``We learned after 9/11 and anthrax just how helpful mental health counseling can be,'' said Martha Knisley, director of the D.C. Department of Mental Health. She noted that many times, first responders aren't prepared to deal with what they've encountered.