VCOM View Vol 9-1

AUBURN CAMPUS

Staying Ahead of the Storm

Over the last year, our country has experienced disasters such as tornadoes, Hurricanes Harvey and Maria in Houston and Puerto Rico, as well as wildfires in the Pacific Northwest and California. One of the most important aspects for recovery in any disaster is for first-responders to have a plan and be trained how to respond to many situations. Disaster response training is part of the VCOM curriculum, and having medical students join together with local teams to plan for disaster benefits the whole community.

BY SCOTT GODWIN T he Auburn community and staff in conducting two disaster drill exercises last April alongside the Auburn University Office of Risk Management and Safety (AU RMS), the Opelika Fire Department, the City of Auburn Fire Division, the AU Campus Community Emergency Response Team (CCERT) and East Alabama Medical Center Emergency Medical Services (EAMC EMS). The first phase of the event in the morning featured a HAZMAT situation that was the result of a simulated collision between transit buses and a truck carrying joined together with VCOM- Auburn faculty, students

compressed gas cylinders. This accident resulted in the simulated leak of hydrogen sulfide, causing numerous casualties. Local firefighters donned chemical-resistant suits and simulated a response to the chemical release. Victims were then taken through a chemical decontamination wash tent operated evaluation, victims were taken to one of three simulated emergency rooms in the VCOM-Auburn building. Phase two involved a tornado striking the VCOM campus, causing heavy damage to the exterior of the building. Numerous casualties by RMS hazardous materials specialists prior to triage. After

winter 2018 | VCOM V iew M agazine 15