The City of Irving will conduct a full-scale disaster drill on Wednesday, November 30, 2011 at the Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas. The Irving Police Department, Irving Fire Department, Baylor Medical Center at Irving, Las Colinas Medical Center, Irving Community Television Network (ICTN) and PCI Health Training Center will participate in the exercise, which will begin sometime after 8 a.m.
“Fortunately, the City of Irving has not experienced a large-scale emergency. However, we realize that even the smallest incident can erupt into a full-blown disaster at any time and our response teams must be prepared to immediately react,” said Irving City Councilwoman Rose Cannaday. “The best way to ensure our City’s response teams and medical centers are prepared for an incident of this scale is to periodically test their limits through realistic simulations.”
As part of the disaster exercise, the City of Irving has created a situation that requires the Police Tactical Unit, the Police EOD Unit (Bomb Squad), as well as the negotiations cadre and the patrol division to be placed on full alert. In addition, complete hazmat capabilities and tactical paramedics from the Irving Fire Department will be on standby, along with the departments normal staffing of all fire apparatus and emergency medical personnel.
Once the exercise begins, appropriate tactical teams from the police and fire departments will respond to an “incident” at the Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas. Reporters from ICTN will be on hand to simulate a media response to an emergency event, and approximately 50 students from PCI Health Training Center’s Richardson campus will portray “victims.” Each “victim” will be assigned a scenario from which they must be rescued, evaluated and treated for injuries by the response teams.
“In order for this exercise to be effective, our response teams must feel like they are responding to an actual large-scale emergency. This is achieved through the participation of volunteer ‘victims’ who will be given various roles to act out,” said Pat McMacken, emergency management coordinator for the City of Irving. “This will look very realistic, but we want to assure the public that the incident at the Irving Convention Center is just a simulation.”
“The students at PCI are a good fit for this type of exercise since they are pursuing medical careers. Our students have the knowledge necessary to accurately portray their assigned injuries and symptoms, which adds an element of realism,” said Dr. Chad Wardrup, director of training at PCI Health Training Centers. “The experience is also a good opportunity for our students to see first-hand how emergency response teams come together as one unit to protect the community during a crisis.”
As part of the emergency plan, critically ill “victims” will be transported to either Baylor Medical Center at Irving or Las Colinas Medical Center, where each facility’s medical staff will be tested on their disaster response. The medical centers will also receive a number of “walking wounded” patients from the scene who will seek treatment for less critical injuries.
In accordance with the hospital’s emergency operations plan, approximately100 staff members at Baylor Medical Center at Irving will participate in the exercise, including the Hospital Command Staff and the Decontamination Team. In addition to this drill, Baylor Medical Center at Irving regularly conducts internal disaster exercises and participates in quarterly drills with the North Central Texas Trauma Regional Advisory Council.
The November 30, 2011 disaster exercise is the second one conducted in Irving. The city’s response teams and medical centers participated in a similar exercise in 2009.
The City of Irving reminds residents that events at the Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas, Baylor Medical Center at Irving and Las Colinas Medical Center on November 30 are only an exercise.
About Baylor Health Care System
Baylor Health Care System is a faith-based support organization providing services to a network of acute care hospitals and related health care entities that provide patient care, medical education, research and community service. Baylor recorded more than 2.6 million patient encounters, $3.8 billion in total operating revenue, $4.4 billion in total assets and $513.5 million in community benefits in fiscal year 2010. Baylor’s network of more than 260 access points includes 26 owned/operated/ ventured/affiliated hospitals, 23 joint ventured ambulatory surgical centers, 50 satellite outpatient locations, four senior centers and 156 HealthTexas physician clinics.
About Las Colinas Medical Center
Las Colinas Medical Center is a part of the Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) and its network of over 250 facilities in the United States and England. Comprised of locally managed hospitals and outpatient centers, HCA is the largest provider of healthcare services in the country.
The HCA North Texas Division consists of ten other hospitals in addition to Las Colinas Medical Center. Being a part of a large network of hospitals provides additional resources for each and every facility in the network, to ensure a commitment to the delivery of high quality, cost-effective healthcare in the communities we serve.
About PCI Health Training Center
PCI Health Training Center is an accredited private medical career college that specializes in training professionals in the allied health sciences in order to provide the Metroplex with qualified graduates who are career ready for our community. The school, which has campuses in Dallas and Richardson, is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges, and is regulated by the Texas Workforce Commission – Career Schools and Colleges.
PCI Health Training Centers are also active community partners. The school is affiliated with major hospitals throughout the Metroplex to provide students with intern opportunities, assists Carter Bloodcare Center with donor drives and has provided student “victims” for disaster exercises in Dallas and Richardson. In addition, PCI Health Training Center’s Richardson campus offers assistance for individuals who want to receive their High School GED through a free informational book, classes and test administration.
