Bill Fortier
Telegram & Gazette (Massachusetts)
Copyright 2007 Worcester Telegram & Gazette, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
CHARLTON — The Middle School was the scene of a first last night.
A total of 22 ambulances and about 65 emergency responders converged at the school in what was described by Nancy Ridley, associate commissioner of the state Department of Public Health, as the state’s first full-scale, functional exercise involving the movement of ambulances responding to a mock emergency involving a massive number of people.
For the purposes of the drill, the middle school was the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield. The premise of the drill involving ambulances from 15 communities south and west of Worcester and vehicles from three private services in Worcester and another in Oxford was a medical emergency at the Big E, said the incident commander, Oxford Fire Department-EMS Chief Jeffrey A. Wilson.
The purpose of the drill, which featured a classroom session led by Brewster Fire Chief Roy E. Jones III that reviewed the night’s events, was to mobilize and test a statewide emergency radio system.
Chief Wilson explained that ambulances from the western part of the state would be the first called to a disaster at the Big E. For ambulances from this area to be called to West Springfield, there would have to be an emergency affecting more than 100 people, he said.
Fire departments have a statewide mobilization plan, and last night’s drill was a test of an ambulance response plan that is based on the Fire Department model, according to Chief Wilson, who said emergency workers would like to change the name to the state Fire and EMS Ambulance Mobilization Plan.
The departments that took part in the drill are located in District 7, which is made up four task forces, Ms. Ridley said. All four task forces met at predetermined locations before going to the middle school. For example, one met at the North Oxford Fire Station and another met at Howlett Lumber Co. on Route 20. The radio system that was tested connected ambulances to the task force leaders and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.
Communities participating in the program have been given funding from the Department of Public Health, which has also spent about $1million on radio equipment, ambulances and other equipment and material for the state emergency ambulance response program, Ms. Ridley said.
“I’m here to see how our money is being spent,” she said as she listened to announcement of the mock disaster on radios inside the Oxford Fire-EMS Special Operations Unit parked in the middle school parking lot.
Chief Jones said drills like last night’s are important because they give emergency responders information on what they have to do when there is an emergency and the protocol that has to be followed.
“Drills like this give us a chance to find out what works and what doesn’t work,” he said.
Ambulance crews arriving at the middle school reported to the Oxford unit, where Charlton EMS Coordinator Terri Gough checked their paperwork.
The state Fire Chiefs Association and the state fire marshal’s office joined the DPH and local fire departments and ambulance service in working on last night’s drill. Planning for the event started about three months ago.
Chief Wilson said he was pleased that all 22 ambulances arrived at the middle school within 70 minutes after the drill was announced at 6:35 p.m. He said local and state officials would be talking with local departments about ways to achieve quicker response times.