On The Scene

Editor's Note: This is a continuation of a series of articles submitted by Undersheriff Jon Dearmore, who is currently a candidate for the office of Wahkiakum County Sheriff.

On June 10, 2010, we were involved in a Regional Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) drill. The fictitious scenario included a suspect who had shot and killed a person and wounded several others at a residence in Cathlamet. The suspect then fled towards Cowlitz County, where he continued his rampage. The MCI drill then continued throughout the region.

The focus of the drill was to see how we utilized our regional resources and assets and how the Sheriff’s Office handled the initial call, which was a tactical response. Other systems that were tested included our regional communications and our Incident Command System (ICS). We saw how dispatch handled the high volume of calls, the radio traffic from law enforcement, Fire/EMS, others counties responding for mutual aid, and even opening the Emergency Operations Center (EOC). Joannie Bjorge, Chief Civil Deputy, did an outstanding job in the planning process for this drill.

This event had controllers and evaluators from other counties grading the participants. They then reported back to Region 4 organizers, the State and even the Feds. There were over 400 people involved in this drill from Cowlitz, Skamania, Clark and Wahkiakum Counties (Region 4). The county passed with flying colors overall.

This drill was months in the making. Hundreds of hours went into it, and I would like to thank Beau Renfro, from Cathlamet Fire Department, who was the main organizer for Wahkiakum County. This was a huge job and I’m sure Beau had many sleepless nights.

There are many people I would like to thank: all of the employees of the Sheriff’s Office, all of the Fire/EMS folks countywide, The Board of County Commissioners, our EOC staff, our Region 4 partners, the citizens of the county, and most importantly, the vast number of volunteers who made the drill possible and successful.

Once again, we, Wahkiakum County, can hold our heads up high for pulling together as a very cohesive team. I have seen this togetherness time and time again and it never ceases to amaze me. Thank you, Team Wahkiakum.