Multiple Pierce County agencies and organizations will test their response to a mass casualty incident during an emergency response exercise on Sept. 16 and 17.
The exercise will allow participants to test established mass casualty and mass fatality plans, coordination and communication between multiple jurisdictions, and the processes for responding to a mass casualty incident.
“The purpose of this exercise is to conduct a coordinated and integrated response to a mass casualty incident within Pierce County,” said Chief Cliff McCollum of Pierce County Fire District 13. “It is critical that first responders, emergency medical services, hospitals, and our community train and exercise together to prepare for any unknown disaster.”
Exercise scenario
The exercise scenario is that a cruise ship rented by a fictitious company has run aground at the Browns Point Lighthouse Park in Tacoma, resulting in a fire in the ship’s engine area. In the exercise, multiple passengers are reported in the water or trying to escape from the boat, and the number and extent of injuries are unknown as first responders are dispatched.
On the first day of the exercise, Pierce County Fire District 13 will be dispatched to the park. The department will run through their response procedures, and call in supporting agencies to assist with the response. Volunteers posing as injured passengers will be transported by ambulance to nearby hospitals participating in the exercise. In addition, the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office will test protocols for responding to a mass casualty incident by dispatching staff to the park, where additional volunteers will pose as deceased victims.
On the second day of the exercise, the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office will continue to evaluate their response procedures at its Tacoma office. The Medical Examiner’s Office will be assisted by other agencies within Pierce County as well as coroner and medical examiner offices in surrounding counties.
Participating agencies
Participating agencies include the Pierce County Medical Examiner, Pierce County Fire District 13, American Medical Response, CHI Franciscan Health System, Disaster Medical Control Center, Good Samaritan Hospital, DMORT—Region 10, Falck Ambulance NW, King County Medical Examiner, Kitsap County Coroner, Madigan Army Medical Center – Dental & Pathology, Medical Reserve Corps – Pierce County and King County, MultiCare Health System, Northwest Health Care Response Network, Pierce County Emergency Management, Pierce County Fire Communications, Pierce County Sheriff’s Office – Marine & Dive Units, Pierce County Type III Incident Management Team, Public Health – Seattle and King County, Rural Metro Ambulance, SightLife, Snohomish County Medical Examiner, South Sound 911, Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, Thurston County Coroner, Tri-Med Ambulance, and the United States Coast Guard.
Funding for this exercise was provided by Department of Homeland Security grants.
