An area of Hale County land just south of Greensboro was the site of a simulated mass casualty event Thursday night, March 6th. Fires burned and smoke billowed through the air as hundreds of first responders practiced procedure in the event of a plane crash. Cars damaged by flaming and flying debris and victims stranded in a lake were part of the simulation. It was one of the biggest disaster drills for the area in years.
The drill was held at the M. Barnett Lawley Field Trial Area, formerly the State Cattle Ranch.
Roughly 70 agencies from multiple counties worked together to contain the seemingly real damage.
“It’s very important for all of our counties to train together so if there is ever a mass casualty event we all know each other, and we can all work together,” said Russ Weeden, Hale County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) Director.
Medical staff from five local hospitals were situated at a mobile command center on site, working to treat close to 100 “victims.” These victims were actually actors in makeup and special effects representing injuries, and they were scattered throughout the area. Responders were tasked with finding these victims and bringing them to the aid station.
“Most of these patients are going to be severely injured. They’ve all gotta come to our mobile hospital. There’s nurses here from five different hospitals and we’ve got triage in the field so we’re gonna treat it just like it’s a real plane crash,” Weeden said.
The drill was part of an annual training exercise, one that Weeden said was critical for real-world preparedness. The focus of these drills is usually on tornado response, one of Alabama’s most common threats, but roughly once a decade EMA leaders plan for a larger mass casualty event like Thursday’s plane crash scenario.
Weeden said the goal is simple: when disaster strikes for real, teams need to be prepared and know how to reach each other.
“If we have a big tornado here with injuries, then I want to know who’s coming and I want to have their contact,” he said.
EMA leaders say they will review Thursday’s response and use what they learn to improve their emergency plans going forward.
