Calhoun to conduct mass casualty incident drill
HUNTSVILLE & DECATUR – Calhoun Community College’s Allied Health and Public Safety departments will partner again this year to conduct the college’s annual Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) drill. The exercise will take place on Thursday, March 12, from 7:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. on the college’s Decatur campus in the Kelley Gymnasium. A second drill will take place in the Huntsville campus on March 20.
The mock disaster will simulate a scenario involving a threat to persons/property which has just occurred on campus. The specific circumstances of the mock disaster will not be announced in order to preserve the “realness” of the event. Over the past eight years, mock drill scenarios have included a bus crash, bomb threat, and an active shooter incident. So that students, staff and visitors to the campus will not confuse the drill with a real situation, notices have gone out across the college and signs indicating a training drill is currently underway will be posted in the area of the activity.
“The Annual Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) is the capstone simulation event for our graduating health sciences students,” commented Tyler Mosley, Calhoun’s EMS Program Director. According to Mosley, students enrolled in various points of their respective health programs will also participate in the drill.
“The goal of the simulation is to provide as realistic training opportunity as possible in a coordinated and safe environment to better prepare our students for the potential emergencies they will encounter as health care professionals,” Mosley added. “
“The Huntsville campus nursing and EMS programs have a MCI drill planned for Friday, March 20 at 11:30 a.m.,” commented Dr. Lynn Hogan, Calhoun Nursing Department Chair. According to Dr. Hogan, students from Madison County Career Tech Center (MCCTC) in health science, criminal justice and cosmetology programs will also participate in the simulation drill. The MCI scene will be set up on the Huntsville campus between the courtyard and buildings and will involve an incident at an outdoor expo event.
For the students and communities benefit, this event involves coordination between the college and multiple external public safety and health agencies within Calhoun’s service area, including Decatur Fire & Rescue, MedFlight & AirEvac, and multiple Ambulance services like HEMSI, Athens EMS, and Cullman EMS. During the drill, these agencies have the opportunity to be on campus and to participate with Calhoun health students, which helps in turn better their preparation. Additionally, many hospitals and academic accreditations now desire this type of training to document the level of training employees and students receive while employed/enrolled.
Decatur Campus visitors, faculty, and students should expect to see a high volume of emergency responders on campus from 7:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. A number of yellow warning signs posted reading “Active Simulation in Progress” will be posted across campus to alert students, faculty, staff and visitors of the drill.
