Hospitals, agencies to play roles in disaster drill
Posted on Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Area hospitals and emergency response agencies will participate in a regional disaster drill today to test their preparedness.
Six counties will participate in a simulated disaster, the aftermath of massive destruction by tornadoes.
Greg Russell, director of marketing and community relations for Northwest Health System, said the Northwest Regional Hospital Preparedness Group, a coalition of hospitals and emergency response agencies, received a federal Department of Health & Human Services grant as part of the federal Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program.
"The purpose of the drill is to test the system," Russell said. "We want to see where the strengths are and where the opportunities for improvement are, so when real situations come along, we're as ready as we can be."
The drill will take place from 2-8 p.m. today and will be coordinated at the Washington County Emergency Operations Center.
Washington Regional Medical Center is one of the participating hospitals. Terry Fox, director of marketing for the hospital, said the hospital will receive "role-playing"patients as if there were a real disaster. The Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Fayetteville and the Willow Creek Women's Hospital in Johnson are also included in the list of participating health-care facilities. Hospitals in Springdale, Bentonville, Rogers, Siloam Springs, Eureka Springs and Harrison will also be participating.
Participating firstresponder organizations include the Fayetteville Fire Department, Fayetteville Police Department, Springdale Fire Department, Siloam Springs Police Department, Benton County Department of Emergency Management, Carroll County Department of Emergency Management and the Washington County Department of Emergency Management.
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