Disaster Drill Prepares for Real Emergencies

When disaster strikes, it’s important for emergency personnel to be on the same page.

On Thursday the Muskingum County Emergency Management Association took part in a tabletop disaster drill.  EMA Director Bo Keck said the drill is put on every year to meet state standards.  He said this time the group prepared for a tanker rollover accident.

"We have a committee that put the drill together and this scenario that we’re using," said Keck.  "We have all the first responders here to discuss how they would handle the incident.  The facilitators create the incident and then the responders talk about how they would respond."

Keck said fire, highway patrol, Red Cross and other county officials were all in attendance.  He said the drill is hands-on practice for the real deal.

"Part of it is just getting to know the faces of the other players," said Keck.  "We’re all sitting in one place and talking to each other.  The other thing is just learning.  In any drill, no matter what kind of scenario it is, there are things that come up that you didn’t realize before."

Keck said that Muskingum County is fortunate to have a variety of resources available in the event of a catastrophe.