By Barbara J. Woerner
The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA.)
Copyright 2007 Landmark Communications, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
PRINCESS ANNE, Va. — Alisha Flake shook uncontrollably while waiting in a group of “injured” people outside the gates of the Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater.
Several minutes into a concert she had been attending, a “bomb” exploded inside the venue, injuring and killing scores of people.
“Where’s my friend; have you seen him?” she wailed. “He had blood in his throat.”
Flake waited with groups of others for treatment by local emergency medical teams. Victims moaned and hollered for help. A plume of smoke drifted above the amphitheater and hung in the cloudless sky.
Flake was one of more than 200 volunteers who took part in Operation Chain Reaction earlier this month at the amphitheater. The simulated disaster gave personnel from 11 hospitals and 200 police, deputy sheriffs, firefighters and EMS responders a chance to test response capabilities.
The Hampton Roads Metropolitan Response System, part of a nationwide system, is tied in with the Department of Homeland Security. It supports a Hampton Roads Medical Strike Team that provides expertise during a disaster, and operates training exercises and simulations in disaster response.
“Firefighters and police are always taking part in training exercises,” said program manager William Ginnow. “We’re the only ones that put everyone and everything together for a simulation this size.”
Flake and fellow Green Run students Sarah Panko and Amber Crewl and teacher Christine Heath were placed in ambulances, then removed because they had not been decontaminated.
Heath said she brought 12 students to play the part of disaster victims. They were given cards describing their injuries and make-up for the part.
“We learned how to handle a situation like this and how people try to help you,” Heath said. “The calls for help seemed so realistic.”
On the way to triage, victims were sprayed with a hose to remove dust, dirt and other particles. Then they moved through a hazardous material checkpoint, where they were scanned for radiation.
Victims were transported and treated as if they had real injuries.
Lionell Whitehead, an actor and a cadet from Commonwealth Challenge, carried an injured cadet out of the smoke on his shoulders.
“I added to my script,” he said. “It felt good saving people, even if it wasn’t real.”
Ryan Swinea, also an actor and a cadet with Commonwealth ChalleNGe, found value in the exercise.
“It was good to be helping here in case we ever get into the real thing,” he said.