Practice makes perfect

By Staff
Mike Self, FCT Sports Editor
The best way to avoid a disaster-or, at the very least, to limit the damage when disaster inevitably strikes-is to be prepared.
In light of that, the mock disaster training exercise planned by the Red Bay Police Department for March 20 is a great idea.
The mock disaster, which will construct an emergency situation involving a car, a school bus with about 15 students on board, and a truck hauling hazardous materials, will serve as a training exercise for police, fire, medical and school personnel, as well as for the community as a whole.
This drill will allow all the necessary personnel to practice their skills and fine-tune their strategies should such a situation ever arise. After all, practice makes perfect.
In a perfect world, tragedies would never occur and such disaster training exercises would not be necessary. Unfortunately, disastrous situations can happen anywhere to anybody at any time.
Last year's school bus crash in Huntsville and last week's devastating tornado in Enterprise are just two examples of how disasters can strike suddenly and unexpectedly.
More often than not, nothing can be done to prevent such disasters. However, much can be done to prepare for them. Preparation is the key to ensuring the safety and well-being of all those involved.
That's why training exercises like the one planned by the Red Bay Police Department are so important. They truly can save lives.