BY SCOTT HUNTER HADDOW
Just after 11 Thursday morning a plane crashed into the west side of the Northeast Mental Health Centre (NEMHC).
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Mock disasters help prepare emergency workers. |
The plane collided with the hospitals 300 level.
The collision caused heavy damage to the building and there were several fatalities and injuries. Seven people died, 11 more are seriously injured and 13 others have suffered minor injuries.
There are fires burning throughout the building. There are people injured all over the place. There?s no time to waste.
NEMHC staff must now organize, steady their nerves and calm their anxiety.
They must act quickly and professionally because there are lives at stake. One false move and more people will perish. They must be ready.
The NEMHC, in conjunction with 12 other organizations, such as the Sudbury Regional Hospital, Greater Sudbury Police Services, Greater Sudbury Fire Department and the Red Cross, participated in a mock disaster situation to test the abilities, responsiveness and preparedness of their emergency services.
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Laurentian student Cynthia Pick took part in Mock Disaster at Algoma Hospital. |
The exercise is designed to help the emergency services revamp and look for weaknesses in their emergency plans.
Sharon Neeley, Support Services Supervisor with NEMHC and Incident Commander, knows this mock disaster is crucial to all involved.
?It?s very important to all our staff for training purposes, so they all know their responsibilities in the case of a real emergency,? said Neeley. ?They all have to be prepared.?
After the staged disaster, officials combed over the results and the way employees executed the emergency plan. They were pleased with the results.
?After the debriefing, we then decide if we will be making some minor adjustments to our plan,? said Neeley. ?It went well and the comments from evaluators were very good.?
Even though the disaster simulated a plane crash into the building, Neeley knows the practice will serve the staff well for any potential future real-life accident.
?It helps because in other emergencies we would still have to evacuate clients, so it did give us a sense of just how quickly we can get people out of the building.?
A total of 12 second-year students in College Boreal?s paramedic program also participated in the event. Rene Lapierre, a teacher in the paramedic program, acknolwedged the exercise was valuable to his students.
?For our learners it?s an excellent opportunity,? said Lapierre. ?They have to practise their roles as paramedics in a crisis situation, one of the subjects that we deal with later this semester. They didn?t know what to expect, as in a real situation. It?s a great experience.?
