Mass casualty drill conducted at local hospital
Fictional scenario for the drill was for a response to a commercial passenger jet crash
– Templeton residents, workers, and Adventist Health Twin Cities’ team members might have noticed a preponderance of tents and emergency personnel at Twin Cities on May 8. While they might not have been surprised too much – after all, Twin Cities is San Luis Obispo County’s busiest Emergency Department – the good news is that it was only a drill.
Twin Cities and Adventist Health Sierra Vista, which is the county’s only designated trauma center, took part in a successful drill that simulated a Mass Casualty Incident as part of the county’s emergency preparedness activities. The fictional scenario for the drill was for a response to a commercial passenger jet crash into a Paso Robles vineyard because of technical difficulties. Six physicians joined Adventist Health Central Coast Service Area leadership, clinical staff, facilities/security, and new nurse graduates (who played our patients) in the exercise.
“The goal was to be prepared to receive patients of any number in 15 minutes,” said Emergency Preparedness Coordinator for Adventist Health Central Coast Emma Wilcox, who coordinated the activities. “The emphasis to quickly set up enough equipment to receive patients in a controlled manner was successful. It was an excellent exercise thanks to committed staff involvement. There were a lot of great takeaways from the simulation, including that we have a very, very professional team that cares deeply for our communities.”
