Disaster Drill Held at Health Center
by David Croyle
Fire trucks, police cars, and ambulance workers surrounded the Armstrong County Health Center last night in a highly organized disaster drill.
County Coordinator Bill Hamilton said he felt the drill was 75% successful, but acknowledged there are some procedures that need improvement.
“We used an active shooter scenario which tied into training which the Health Center developed their own plan in case of that situation,” Hamilton said.
Health Center Administrator Tom Parsons denied that last night’s drill was due in part to a alleged gunman coming onto the property last week.
“This active shooter drill has been planned since the Spring,” Parsons said. “That had nothing to do with anything.”
Hamilton said he was happy with the overall response, but said the team will now evaluate the 25% where changes will need to be made.
“We will go back and review everything - fire, police, ambulance, emergency management, 9-1-1, Health Center - and then try to make improvements in each one of those areas. This drill went better than a lot of drills that I have done.”
Armstrong County Disaster Drill Coordinator Bill Hamilton reviews evaluation sheets submitted by emergency response team members.
County EMS Director Randy Brosnick said the work now begins creating a 30-page report.
“After we do an exercise, we have to go back and do an ‘After-Action Report’ that will identify different areas that we need to make improvements. Then we will build an improvement plan based on what we come up with. If we look at an area where we were a little weak, we will get a class or get training and we will improve it. Hopefully that will fix those areas that we are weak at.”
Kittanning Fire Marshal Earl “Buzz” Kline said the main job of area fire departments was to secure the area, which meant blocking off South McKean Street as well as connecting streets and alleys.
“Every time, no matter whether it is an accident, a fire, or a false alarm, you have those people who have to be right there to see what is going on. That is the reason we try to isolate.”
Kline said that traffic attempted to circumvent the blocked off streets by utilizing Typewriter Hill, causing massive congestion on that very narrow street.
Hamilton said the drill is not over yet.
“There is literally months of work yet to conclude this drill and get ready for the next training that we are going to be doing.”
Emergency workers converged on the Armstrong County Health Center last night in a 90-minute training exercise. The scenario was a shooter that was in the building. Police, fire, ambulance, and other emergency personnel responded from Kittanning and the surrounding areas.
Local News | David Croyle October 25, 2016
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