Area medical, law enforcement
and fire personnel will converge on Boise State University
Thursday, June 5, for a chemical weapons disaster drill. A
pseudo bomb will be detonated in the parking lot just west of
Bronco Stadium at approximately 9 a.m. At that point emergency
responders will assess the mock situation and take appropriate
measures, and local hospitals will prepare to receive “contaminated”
patients according to hospital protocol.
The disaster drill is part of
the fourth annual Southwest Idaho EMS Conference titled “Terrorism:
The New Challenge in Medicine.”
The four-day conference,
scheduled to run through June 8, is designed to prepare
medical personnel and first responders to react effectively to
an incident involving weapons of mass destruction. The drill
is specifically designed to test the Ada County Terrorism
Plan, Ada County Multiple Patient Incident/Multiple Casualty
Incident Plan, and the internal hazardous materials (HazMat)
procedures of local hospitals.
Troy Hagen, Ada County
Paramedics assistant director, will provide a play-by-play
account of the drill to the public and media. The event will
be overseen by several agencies, including the Boise Police
bomb squad, Ada County tach med unit, Ada County transport
units, Ada County HazMed, Ada County command, Ada County
sheriff (Boise State division), Boise Fire HazMat, Boise Fire
Department, Idaho National Guard weapons of mass destruction
team, and Saint Alphonsus and St. Luke’s regional medical
centers.
-30-
Media Contacts
Vicky Jekich
Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center
208 367-7482
Kathleen Craven
communications and marketing
208 426-3275
