Middle Georgia Agencies Participate in 'Mock Disaster'
Kendall Herold
Story Created:
Jul 27, 2010 at 5:37 PM EDT
Story Updated:
Jul 27, 2010 at 8:29 PM EDT
The sounds of victims crying for help filled an old kaolin factory in Dry Branch Tuesday morning.
But the scene was all part of a mock drill for a simulated explosion and Hazmat situation- training nearly 100 people from 12 different agencies to save lives in the event of an actual emergency.
Macon-Bibb County Fire Chief Marvin Riggins said, "It's very critical to us that we exercise these types of events so we actually know what our people level, skill level, and equipment level is. Is it still functional? Does it need to be upgraded? Does it work like we think it will work?"
The mock drill was four weeks in the making, planning out even the smallest of details.
With over 30 victims to rescue, those involved say they did encounter minor problems... problems they hope to solve before an actual disaster.
"You're going to have problems. This is the best time to have them. So you can work them out for an actual event," said Houston County Fire Department PIO Daniel Evans.
Evans says this is the largest mock drill Central Georgia has seen in at least the past 15 years- preparing local authorities to save lives in case an actual event hits.
"It could be at this plant, it could be at a school, it could be at anything," explained Evans.
"You need these kind of people to get in there and save lives or property."
Most Popular