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Discussion

Terrorist Drill

well...today i was working in a local hospital and we had a county wide terrorist attack drill for all medical facilities and ems. i am a nurse, and my hubby is a paramedic so we were both involved in this drill.

wow! we went through the drill code, and lockdown only to find that we supposidly suffered from tainted water in the citys water system (remember this is fake, and there were several different sceneros for different facilities).

so they put in a high mortaility rate, and sadly all my patients were poisoned except the npo folks, all the staff that drank the water. they estimated over 90% of staff and more patients were poisoned and still trying to find out the suspected chemical used. great...i did drink the water in coffee! so i guess i was poisoned. they told me i was out of service and in a triage tent (which they did have one for the drill), but that was in pretend...to continue my job as a nurse..this was only a drill.... holly cow, so i am a number in the tent...ouch!

then...my dear husband went on a call (all fake) and went to a house, was cleared by police...but was shot by a terrorist (his partner too). i mean they actually were called to a home, and a employee was standing at the door with a sign...'you have been mortally shot' type deal! they even had to do the paperwork involved in death and what not! i mean it was more real than our drill at the hospital...still fake, but wow..they even called the chaplin (faked), and the plan on letting me know of his demise.

so wow...not only did my hubby die, but i was poisoned and didn't know if i was dead or not but the morbidity reports were beyond favorable for me living! that was so scary!!!

i came home and really hugged my family, after telling them about the drill! i said "as medics we know we are at risk...but wow...according to the statistics, you just lost both of us in less than 4 hours." really brought it into perspective (as well as clearing up some hospital policies and procedures in the process, which was very needed!).

i think from now on i will bring bottled water to work, and get hubby a bullet proof vest! lol!!!!!

i just thought i would share this story with you, and maybe give you pause for thought about the risks we take on by being medics and how even knowing those risks...we keep on doing it all :)!

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well i would put it this way are all really ready and prepare for a terrorist? but the biggest thing is we need to be praying and thanking god that we have troops that are protecting our country,and people that are here in our country is ready to be there when needed. i hope this make sense.

  • Author

Makes sence to me...here here!

And lets not forget our wonderful EMS!!! They are at the most risk, and wow...they would volunteer to run to any call we ever need! Our residental heros!

Good for your county! Our hospital occasionally runs disaster "drills" They call the code overhead and want to see that everybody calls in backup staff and presents the house super with a list of who can come in, who is unavailablle, etc. That's it. Dumb waste of time! I suggested a few times doing mock disasters or scenarios but no-one listens. They say we're prepared but we haven't got a clue!!

BTW- we used to have to mix our own juice or dietary mixed from concentrate until just before Y2K, we've had ready to drink juice cups ever since b/c they were worried about getting water... still i would have been giving out water also just like you!

I hope your county writes up a report on the even and shares what worked and didn't and that others follow!

  • Author

I once worked in a two story ALF, and sadly many non moble pts were upstairs. I suggested that instead of fire drills to just see if staff shuts doors and goes where they are supose to...that they actually make a day of it!

What I mean is actually have a full drill...moving pts, making chalk X signs on doors that have been checked for pts and cleared (suggested by our fire dept!), and then once everyone was outside they were greated by a BBQ (which they did once a month anyway) outdoors with balloons and festive activities~!

I was told that was not necessary to put the residents through..so then I said.."then count all non moble pts as fatalities and you do the math and report that to all the families of non moble pts!". Boy did I get written up for insubordination!

That ticked me off...so I talked to the local Fire department and they came and did a full inspection (I am the daughter in law of a local fire chief ;) ). They failed in many aspects..and it was told that they either must move all pts down to the bottom level, or do a drill like I said (without the lovely bbq part...I thought that was a nice touch!), or be fined big time!

They said they would do it...never did happen that I know of because I left a few months later due to cutbacks on nursing staff...

Yes, I think realistic drills are the best, and really point to probelm areas you didn't realize could be there...like no one even thought of what to do with a 300 lb lady non moble on a second floor needing to be evacuated!!! DUH!

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