Disaster response drill in Draper fosters interagency cooperation


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DRAPER — Here's the scenario: A large-scale earthquake and several aftershocks hit the Salt Lake Valley, injuring dozens of people and crippling several hospitals that lie near the Wasatch fault, including Lone Peak Hospital.

Meanwhile, 34 people among more than 2,200 elementary, middle and high school students at Skaggs Catholic Center are wounded, ranging from cuts and bruises to fatal injuries; from physical trauma to emotional distress. The injured are identified and loaded onto a bus headed for Lone Peak Hospital down the street.

Room at the hospital quickly runs out with patients coming in from throughout the community. As part of an emergency plan and with the help of the Utah Army National Guard, hospital staff decide to establish an alternate care site at the Juan Diego Catholic High School's gymnasium, where additional patients can receive treatment.

But how do you transform a high school gym into a triage unit? What if the earthquake cuts out water, gas, electricity and cellphone service? What local resources are available if state and national resources are delayed by other emergencies?

Most importantly, how do you properly care for the wounded amid the chaotic aftermath of a disaster?

These and other questions were considered by school, hospital and Utah National Guard responders Wednesday as they simulated to the fullest extent possible how to act in such situations.


One of the things you have to learn is to be able to be flexible and figure things out on the fly and know who to call to be able to get things that you don't have.

–Dr. Julie Fox, chief medical officer at Lone Peak Hospital


"It's a whole different mindset as to how we would work in an emergency situation versus normal operating days," said Dr. Julie Fox, chief medical officer at Lone Peak Hospital.

Evaluators from other disaster teams and hospitals were present to give constructive feedback. Each agency will hold assessment meetings this week to identify strengths and weaknesses in their performance, as well as how to overcome barriers that were encountered.

In the concluding moments of the drill, Fox said one lesson already apparent is having to make due in unpredictable situations.

"One of the things you have to learn is to be able to be flexible and figure things out on the fly and know who to call to be able to get things that you don't have," she said. "We learned that although we can ask for help, we need to be prepared with what we have, and that the unexpected will always happen."

Col. Matthew Luke with the Utah Army National Guard said interagency training is essential for the 80 soldiers in his unit to be able to respond efficiently should federal resources be needed locally.

"I think as with any exercise, you continually learn from the mistakes," Luke said. "You realize no plan, no matter how carefully crafted at the beginning, is ever followed exactly to the letter. You have to be flexible and make adjustments to fit the situation."

Prior to the drill, 30 students from the school's pre-med and drama clubs were selected and given a particular set of injuries, which nurses and doctors had to accurately identify based on reported symptoms before assigning the student to a treatment area.

Inside the makeshift care unit, nurses, doctors, lab personnel, pharmacists, radiologists and security officers busily arranged equipment and admitted patients. Posters lined the walls to designate areas for whatever treatment needs may arise, including emergency treatment, surgery, obstetrics and terminal care.

"It's hard to anticipate every scenario of what you would need to treat patients," said Carolyn Kunz, a registered nurse at Lone Peak Hospital.

Kenya Alia Al-hisnawi, who acts as though she has leg injuries, is transported in a Paraslyde during an earthquake drill at Lone Peak Hospital in Draper, Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2014. (Photo: Ravell Call, Deseret News).
Kenya Alia Al-hisnawi, who acts as though she has leg injuries, is transported in a Paraslyde during an earthquake drill at Lone Peak Hospital in Draper, Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2014. (Photo: Ravell Call, Deseret News).

Some students cried, coughed and staggered while wearing blood-colored makeup and hospital gowns. Others were rolled in on gurneys, apparently unconscious or unable to move.

Student acting, varied injuries and abrupt scenario changes helped simulate the turmoil from a destructive earthquake. But the real scene is hard to fully replicate, according to Kunz.

"Today it feels strange because your adrenaline's not going," she said. "In a real-life situation, I think your senses would just kick in and you'd just automatically go into 'doing mode.'"

Most teachers are certified in CPR, and all are trained in basic first aid. Each classroom is equipped with an emergency supply bag, and students and teachers are versed in evacuation procedures, according to Paul Rainaldi, a teacher at Juan Diego Catholic High School at Skaggs Catholic Center.

J.D. Ahlstrom, a sophomore in Rainaldi's class, says drills are a frequent occurrence at the school and that he hopes they give teachers and responders needed practice in protecting students.

"I think it's very important for our safety," Ahlstrom said. "It makes the difference between life and death — being prepared, keep us calm, not panicking, keep us safe."

Lone Peak Hospital conducts large drills at least once a year, according to Fox. And each is done with the ultimate goal of improving readiness, no matter what the probability of a large-scale catastrophe might be, she said.

"I hope it never happens," Fox said.

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