Emergency responders face challenges in mass casualty drill

A drunk driver smashed head on into a school bus, killing two persons and forcing a region wide response by emergency responders to aid the injured.

That was the scenario Saturday morning as Wahkiakum County's fire and aid departments, the Washington State Patrol, and Life Flight Helicopter Service practiced responding to a mass casualty scene. Local students and their parents played roles of victims, drivers, and grieving parents.

Event coordinators filled an old school bus with children made up with injuries and a list of symptoms to portray. Some had minor injuries, while the responders had to evacuate several on backboard through a large window at the back of the bus.

Nearby was a Ford sedan. In it were a deceased victim and a belligerent drunken driver who resisted efforts to arrest him. Nearby were a car seat with a baby ejected from the car, and another victim lay behind logs.

All presented a variety of injuries and needs to be assessed and addressed. Family members of children were also present and presented challenges for the responders; officers arrested two "distraught" mothers who refused orders to stand back.

A Life Flight Network helicopter stationed at St. John Hospital was able to participate, and responders practiced protocols for getting victims to the helicopter, which is used to speed transportation of patients in critical condition.

Members of the Skamania County Fire Department participated by providing radio service that didn't interfere with the county's regular emergency transmissions, and they also took notes to critique the response.

"It was lots of fun," commented Mike Wright, one of the Cathlamet Fire Department members who organized the event.