The Bradford County Department of Public Safety will be coordinating an MCI, or Mass Casualty Incident, exercise at Alparon Park, located 146 Gate 1 Lane in Troy, Pennsylvania on Wednesday, May 29.
According to a press release, this exercise is designed to test the abilities of first responders, 911 communications, hospital officials, and specialty organizations that provide care, treatment and transport for multi-patient scenarios. Mass Casualty incidents include incidents with a significant number of patients, including large scale motor vehicle accidents, hazardous materials incidents, infrastructure or natural disasters, and acts of violence.
In addition to the Bradford County Department of Public Safety, more than a dozen organizations will be participating in the exercise, including Alparon Park and the Troy Fair Board, Western Alliance EMS, Greater Valley EMS, Guthrie EMS, Tri-Township: Ridgebury EMS, South Creek EMS, Mansfield EMS, Erway Ambulance, Air Methods/Guthrie Air, Pennsylvania State Police, Troy VFD, Smithfield Township VFD, South Creek VFD, Canton VFD, and the Guthrie Healthcare System, including Troy Community, Robert Packer, and Robert Packer Towanda Campuses, the Guthrie Trauma Program and the Emergency Medicine Residency.
More than fifty volunteer “actors and actresses” will be utilized for the exercise. Their volunteerism and support is extremely appreciated and valued and a vital component to the drill. In addition, several professional evaluators will observe the exercise and provide valuable feedback as to the strengths and weaknesses of the response plans and capabilities.
“This exercise is meant to test worst case scenario situations for our emergency responders, EMA staff, healthcare partners and community partners. These incidents are extremely taxing to personnel and resources and the ability to practice this in a no-fault, controlled environment is invaluable,” said Emergency Management Coordinator Jeffrey Rosenheck.
The event will occur on May 29, 2024 and will run from approximately 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. This will result in brief traffic delays around Alparon Park and a host of emergency vehicles. Patient actors will be transported to local hospitals, but there will be no impacts to normal operations concerning care or emergency services during the exercise.
“It is rare we have an opportunity to bring everyone together to host something like this, and this is not something that we have done in the county for many years, if ever,” Rosenheck said. “I would like to thank everyone who has made this valuable experience a reality for all.”
