MDP plans exercise Nov. 6: Be prepared
On Nov. 6, the Mountain Disaster Preparedness group will conduct an emergency drill. About 4 p.m., an announcement will go out to MDP members that an emergency has occurred.
The Community Emergency Response Team members will report to the Disaster Assistance Station to which they are assigned. The medical team, co-chaired by Dr. Richard Goldberg and Gigi Kramer, will establish an Advanced Treatment Area at Idyllwild Pines.
“We want to test our corps,” said MDP President Mike Feyder. This drill will involve first aid preparations, the DAS units, its communication network and the medical group.
Each DAS unit and CERT members will have to respond to a different medical scenario, such as a broken limb or eye injury. The medical staff at the Advanced Treatment Area also will prepare for these same injuries.
This type of response is more likely associated with a weather event or earthquake, Feyder added. Typically, a fire, such as the July Cranston Fire, would require residents to evacuate the Hill.
When an evacuation is in place, the DAS units remain closed, Kramer explained. “In a disaster, the Idyllwild Fire Department is involved moving patients to the Advance Treatment area, and they need to know our capabilities, too,” she added.
The Mile High Radio Club and WNKI also will participate in the drill, Feyder said.
Training is important, Kramer stressed. “Train and train, so everyone is confident. The more you do it, the easier it is,” she stated. The drill will be a benefit for new CERT members. Many obtained their certification elsewhere, such as San Diego or Orange counties.
