UTAH COUNTY, Utah — First responders, hospitals, and community members in northern Utah County gathered together on Thursday morning to practice emergency response skills.
Jake Catmull, the emergency management coordinator for Intermountain Health, said around 100 volunteers signed up to act as patients for the drill. The drill itself was an earthquake that caused a building that contained hazardous chemicals to collapse.
“We wanted to do a little bit more of a targeted, specialized exercise to really focus on our caregivers,” he said. “And giving our community partners — fire, PD, emergency management, and the city — the opportunity to hone in on their abilities and validate the relationships that we have.”
The goal is to continue to be as prepared as possible for any kind of emergency situation.
During the drill, the volunteers were brought to the closest hospitals, like Holy Cross Mountain Point. Brandon Widdison, the clinical nurse manager for emergency services at Holy Cross Mountain Point, said their job is to focus on accommodating all the patients.
“We are going to see around 60 patients, and how are we going to accommodate, especially our ER is 14 beds, he said.”
The team also hopes that the community will focus on their own personal emergency plans to be extra prepared during a mass casualty situation. “We’re ready,” Catmull said. “We’re ready to take care of you.”
