Wednesday, May 9, 2007

This Was Only A Drill!


Today I got to participate in a disaster drill of an air crash . The role of Red Cross is very different in a disaster of this type. Their main focus is caring for the families as they wait to hear about the news of their loved ones, and much of what results from that. At the last minute, I was reassigned from the Family Assistance Center to the Airport Emergency Operations Center. It was quite a thrill to be there. A big screen live satellite feed was in the room so we could watch the fire department, EMSA, HazMat and all the rest, dealing with the fire and the victims. They use actors with full make up.....(I think Brett Bower has been an actor in drills like this.) The scenario was the collision of a Southwest Airlines passenger jet with 105 souls on board - with a F-15 Air National Guard jet...a result of confusion over what runway to use. You have probably heard these F-15's over Tulsa. They make the air sound as if it will crack. Anyway, I learned allot and can see that we are so blessed to live in America where there are so many agencies and so many resources that spring into action when disaster strikes. I can imagine that air crashes may be among the worst to work. The scene can be so grusome that when serving the people involved - emergency crews, family members, survivors - you are even are careful what foods you serve. It was an intersting day!!