Calhoun: Mass Casualty Drill

Calhoun to conduct Annual Mass Casualty Incident Drill

Calhoun Community College’s Allied Health and Public Safety departments will partner this year to conduct the college’s annual Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) drill. The exercise will take place on Thursday, April 18, 2019, from 8:00am – 12:00noon on the college’s Decatur campus in the area of the Wallace building.
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The mock disaster will simulate ...

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... a scenario involving a threat to persons/property which has just occurred on campus. The specific circumstances of the mock disaster have not been announced in order to preserve the “realness” of the event.  Over the past seven 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 Bret McGill, dean of the college’s Health Sciences division. According to McGill, students enrolled in various points of their respective health programs will also participate in the drill.

“The intent 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 see as health care practitioners,” McGill added. “

“Past drills have included man-made disaster to natural disasters and always have some element of teachable moments the faculty can later go back to their classrooms with to further enhance the learning opportunities,” said McGill.

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.  

Campus visitors, faculty, and students should expect to see a high volume of emergency responders on campus from 8am-11:30am. 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.
 
 
 
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