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MURRAY — According to Utah's Bureau of Emergency Medical Services, Intermountain Medical Center in Murray is one of three Level 1 trauma centers in the state — the others being Primary Children’s and University of Utah Hospital.
Level 1 trauma means they are equipped to provide the highest level of surgical care to trauma patients 24-hours a day as verified by the American College of Surgeons.
But even hospitals like IMC need training to be prepared. That's where groups like the Intermountain Center for Disaster Preparedness in Salt Lake City come in. ICDP trains workers at hospitals, health care centers, and even businesses and individuals for scenarios involving what happened in Orlando.
"We do training all the time," said director of ICDP Karen Blackwood.
In fact, the ICDP is doing a scenario involving mass casualties on Tuesday and the next day to train hospital staff members.
"Health care facilities in general train for active shooters within their facilities as well as those mass casualty incidents," Blackwood said.
The Orlando shooting is a troubling reminder of the need to be prepared for something similar. Blackwood said Utah's hospitals are well prepared.
“Our hospitals are doing a very good job,” Blackwood said. “I came from out of state and I have worked in emergency management in multiple states, and Utah is extremely well-prepared. I would say there are people who take it seriously. It’s important to them.”
The ICDP has trained several hospitals in Utah, and even out of state, for situations where dozens of victims come in all at once, like what was seen in Orlando. It’s not just shooting victims, but ICDP also trains hospitals for hazardous materials exposure, burns and almost any disaster you can think of.
ICDP’s primary goal is to train those who will help you in some type of tragedy or disaster.
"The more you train, the more things become second nature and when that chaos hits, when that event happens, your training kicks in and you begin doing what you've known, what you've practiced, what you've trained for, and it just engages all of that," Blackwood said.
The ICDP also trains smaller health care facilities, businesses, and even individuals for worst-case scenarios.
Contributing Xoel Cardenas
