Oct 15th, 2013
Jackson State Community College medical technology students participated in a mock disaster drill for area EMS personnel and the Jackson Madison County General Hospital. The purpose of this exercise is to provide first responders a realistic setting to help them prepare for chaotic, out of the ordinary events where there are mass casualties. This gives participants a sense of realism instead of simply going thorough the motions.
This drill was started at the former Jackson Clinic facility on West Forest Avenue. Once EMS personnel had gone through and tagged all victims, the victims were taken outside to transport vehicles and were taken to the emergency room across the street at Jackson Madison County General Hospital. At that point, hospital personnel were tasked with properly identifying victims and routing them through the ER for treatment.
Those participating as victims were made up to look as though they had gunshot wounds or other serious trauma inflicted. Each participant was given instructions about the nature of their injuries and asked to act out that scenario. Having victims with realistic makeup and getting into the role of a seriously injured person adds more drama to the scene. This chaotic environment becomes distracting and can cause a first responder to overlook important details or simply be more prone to making mistakes. This is a learning experience to give EMS personnel valuable feedback so they will be better prepared should something like this actually happen.
There were a number of people onsite who were there as observers. While those simply watching found the delirious moans and groans humorous, it was the unexpectedly convincing portrayal that made everyone smile. Someone from outside of this event would be more prone to see this as very believable. Participants were instructed about the believability of their performances and how they could be perceived as real by someone from the outside. For that reason, no one was allowed to have cell phones during the drill and potentially post photos via social media. Local media was allowed to observe, take photos of and report about the event. It is a public relations event that will help bolster public confidence for emergency preparedness.