Mock disaster planned for Red Bay
By Staff
Melissa Cason, FCT Writer
RED BAY – The Red Bay Police Department will hold a mock disaster Tuesday, March 20 as a training exercise for police, fire, medical and school personnel as well as for the community as a whole.
The mock disaster will construct an emergency situation involving a car, a school bus with about 15 students on board, and a truck hauling hazardous materials.
"We are going to set it up as a three vehicle accident with a hazardous material spill," Red Bay Police Chief Pat Creel said.
The drill will involve the Red Bay Fire Department, the Franklin County Sheriff's Department, the Franklin County Emergency Management Agency, the Red Bay Rescue Squad, Red Bay Hospital, the Special Response Team and Red Bay High School.
"SADD members at Red Bay High School will serve as our victims in the dramatization," Creel said.
The mock disaster will include one mock fatality on the scene and 15 other mock injuries to help emergency personnel better prepare themselves for an actual situation should it arise.
"In the event of an actual emergency involving students, the school would go into lockdown, and students would be transported to the First Baptist Church where they could be picked up by their parents," Creel said.
Creel said that he cannot stress enough how important practice and training are when dealing with disaster situations such as ones like the mock disaster will illustrate.
"We do what we practice," he said. "That's why I always emphasize the importance of training. When the need arises, it's too late to learn what to do."
In addition to the mock disaster, the Red Bay Police, the Franklin County EMA, the American Red Cross and other local emergency agencies will host a Community Awareness Program the night before the mock disaster.
The program will go over things needed to prepare for a emergency situation or a natural disaster.
"People need to realize that it will take time for help to arrive in the event of a natural disaster, so they need to be prepared at all times," Creel said.
The Community Awareness Program will be held at 7:30 p.m. at the Senior Citizen's Building following the city council meeting.
Everyone is encouraged to attend this special event, Creel said.
