the BEACON Newspaper, Indiana Sept 2017 Beacon | Page 8

Page 8 THE BEACON September 2017

EMA directs full-scale chemical spill exercise at HVL

By Jamie Hawley

On July 22 , nearly 40 emergency staff and volunteers sacrificed sleeping in on their Saturday morning to participate in a full-scale exercise ( FSE ) at the Hidden Valley Pool and Recreation Center . Some people may be wondering what the big occasion was because through traffic was blocked near the pool and recreation center , but fortunately , it was just a drill .

After six months of planning , the Dearborn County Local Emergency Planning Committee ( LEPC ) and Emergency Management Agency ( EMA ) were finally able to direct the exercise .

Emergency crews responded to the scene after it was dispatched Saturday morning that a tanker truck was smoking in front of the pool . The FSE consisted of a medical emergency happening to an employee while they were pumping chlorine into the storeroom . They were not able to shut the pump off , which then led to a large chemical spill . During this time , four lifeguards were having a meeting and were affected by the spill and trapped in the office . This exercise encompassed various situations emergency personnel face such as chemical spills , trauma triage , and search and rescue .

“ It ’ s training , training is something that should never stop ,” Dearborn County EMA Director Jason Sullivan said . “ It ’ s your job , but it ’ s a job that will kill you if you ’ re not careful .”

The Dearborn County LEPC reports to the Indiana Emergency

Response Commission , which requires preparation for a list of specific chemicals . Since Hidden Valley Pool is a high populace area , a chlorine spill scenario seemed to be a good fit .

“ At any one time there could be up to 100 to 150 people at the pool ,” said Bright Fire Chief Jason Eckhoff . “ So there is potential for a catastrophe if something were to happen .”

According to the EMA , FSEs are a multi-agency , multijurisdictional , multiorganizational exercises . This simulation involved the Bright Fire Department , Greater Cincinnati Hazmat , and various emergency medical service ( EMS ) groups from the surrounding areas . Sullivan said Dearborn county has a good mutual aid agreement throughout the different departments and surrounding counties , and an agreement with the Greater Cincinnati Hazmat to have full access to their assistance and staff .

“ It helps us activate different resources that aren ’ t in everyday use , hazardous materials response , a triage is a big one , for multiple patients , that we don ’ t typically get in to ,” Eckhoff said . “ It allows us to practice with these resources that we don ’ t often get to use .”

The fire fighters conducted a search and rescue , and a gross decontamination for each patient , which entailed a large shower created by a fire hose . Meanwhile , EMS staff prioritized and aided patients , and the Greater Cincinnati

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Emergency crews participated in a full-scale exercise created by the Dearborn County LEPC and EMA .

As a part of the drill , a fireman approaches an employee affected by the chemical contamination

Hazmat secured the scene . Eckhoff trains his crew throughout the year on these different types of scenarios , but it ’ s not like the real thing . An FSE combines all of these situations .

“ It ’ s not your every day run we respond to so it ’ s good to freshen up your skills , get your equipment out , and kind of understand what resources are available for our people ,” Eckhoff said . “ A lot of different factors go into it .”

Dave Jennings , who has been a Bright volunteer firefighter for five years , said he would like to see more simulations like this .

“ The only way to perfect is to do this ,” Jennings said . “ You have to have muscle memory with this kind of stuff , you have to see it to be able to deal with it .”

During the exercise , controllers , evaluators , and safety personnel kept a close eye on the situation to ensure the safety of the participants . The evaluators took extensive

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A Gross Decontamination area was established to accomodate washing chemicals off of patients prior to putting them in an ambulance .

Forty emergency staff and volunteers gathered to participate in the emergency exercise .

notes on the exercise to create reports for the different agencies who were involved .

“ The reports will identify what they did good , key strengths and weaknesses ,” Sullivan said . “ The things they could ’ ve done better .”

In the past years , the Dearborn County LEPC has simulated a plane crash , bus crash , and other chemical spills .

“ We try to do something where you have to work with mutual aid and you have to bring in other departments ,” said LEPC President Ed Gordon . “ Every time you do that , you have different people .”

Photos by Jamie Hawley

Once a year the Dearborn County LEPC and EMA coordinate a table-top discussion , where EMS staff and volunteers come together to discuss an emergency situation . Then the next year , they try to create a real-life simulation .

“ That ’ s our ultimate goal of putting this on is to make sure they are safe , make sure they know how to do it ,” Sullivan says . “ Ultimately , we want them to go home at the end of the day . That ’ s what it boils down to .”

Jacob Tianey , a 14-year-old boy from Dillsboro came with his dad to the exercise and was a wounded lifeguard in the simulation .

“ It was interesting ,” Tianey said . “ I thought it was pretty realistic .”

2018 Lilly Scholarship Applications Available

High school seniors can now apply for the 2018 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship by going to the Dearborn Community Foundation , Inc . ( DCF ) website : dearborncf . org .

The recipient of the 2018 full-tuition Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship will be announced in early December . The application deadline for the 2018 LECS is 11:59 p . m . on Sept . 14 .

Deadlines for all other 2018 DCF scholarships for high school students will be announced soon .

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