By Edith Brady-Lunny
The Pantagraph
HEYWORTH, Ill. — Boy Scouts cloaked in artificial blood littered the parking lot of Heyworth High School on Saturday morning as part of a disaster drill that began with an overturned truck spewing hazardous material nearby.
Dozens of emergency responders participated in the mock disaster caused by a series of severe storms that rolled through Central Illinois. The drill, which moved on to LeRoy in the afternoon, included exercises Thursday and Friday at area schools, businesses and hospitals.
A planned exercise involving a scaffolding accident at Illinois State University’s Redbird Arena was called off Friday night when crews were detoured to a real life emergency. Two men were stuck in an elevator on a wind turbine near Ellsworth. A crane equipped with a personnel basket rescued the men at Twin Groves Wind Farm.
Police, fire and other emergency workers were not the only ones who gained knowledge and experience from the drill. Local residents also gained insight into what could occur during a real disaster.
The Heyworth Boy Scouts had earned their First Aid merit badges, but Saturday’s event was a valuable lesson anyway, said Jeff Scott, whose son Alex participated in the drill.
“Seeing first responders in action is important for them,” said Scott.
Dana Boyd banged on the door of the school office as part of her role as a frantic mother looking for her children.
“That’s probably what I would really be doing,” said the mother of two Heyworth students.
Keith Gehrand with the McLean County Disaster Council helped responders and volunteers follow the script he compiled for the drill.
“This is a way for emergency responders to work together. Whether it’s this (scenario), a shooter in a school or someone trapped in a grain bin, we have to be ready,” said Gehrand, a retired Illinois State University police officer.
Called ‘outstanding’
Participants in the previous exercises received praise from Gehrand. “They were outstanding,” he said.
The opportunity to make sure emergency systems run smoothly was an important part of the drill.
Dennis Powell, chief of the Randolph Township Fire District, said, “What we’re looking for is how communications are working and how well people are working together in a group.”
Medical teams practiced their skills picking up patients who feigned serious injuries and loading them onto a helicopter.
After the Heyworth emergency wrapped up, responders moved on to LeRoy where the imaginary storm created more havoc.
Copyright 2009 The Pantagraph