By Jen Lynds
Bangor Daily News (Maine)
Copyright 2006 Bangor Daily News
CARIBOU, Maine — It was just after 8 a.m. Saturday, a day that City Manager Steven Buck usually spends away from his desk.
But on this Saturday, things were different.
During the morning, Buck got a call. There had been an explosion of unknown origin at the Maine Military Authority in Caribou. Crews from the Caribou Fire and Ambulance Departments were en route to the scene.
The area could be contaminated. There could be injuries from smoke or chemical inhalation or fire. There could be casualties.
The scenario relayed to the city manager on Saturday was fake.
But the simulation was played out as part of the Aroostook County Emergency Management Agency’s weapons-of-mass-destruction drill, an annual event designed to test whether local and county officials such as hospital personnel and emergency first responders are properly prepared to react to a major emergency.
Approximately 130 people, including members of hazardous materials response teams and strike teams from Houlton, Presque Isle and Madawaska, participated in Saturday’s exercise.
The event lasted a little more than three hours.
Buck, who was appointed the public information officer during the exercise, said that initial reports indicated that the training was a success.
“From what I saw, the response to this was excellent,” he said in a telephone call. “We noticed a couple of deficiencies in communication, and we had some radio traffic that was backing up. Other than that, this went very well.”
While participants knew in advance of the training, the details of it were kept secret. Upon activation, crews were told only there had been an explosion at the MMA grounds on Route 89.
The Caribou Fire and Ambulance departments were first on the scene. Cary Medical Center officials were notified they could receive a massive influx of “victims” with unknown injuries.