First responders use simulated school bus crash to prepare for mass-casualty event
GLEN BURNIE, Md. -- Medical staff and first responders from Anne Arundel and Howard counties conducted a mass-casualty drill at Fort Meade and the University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center on Wednesday.
"This prepares us better than any classroom training can happen," UM BWMC Chief Medical Officer Dr. Neel Vibhakar said. "This is as real as it gets and allows us to realize where our opportunities are and what we're doing really well. Whenever a disaster occurs, we're not doing that in isolation. We're doing that in partnership with several other agencies throughout the community"
Dozens of volunteers, including students from Meade Senior High School's Drama Club, played the roles of patients in a school bus crash scenario.
"What we're hoping to test is our ability to handle a mass-casualty event, especially a pediatric event," Carol Ann Sperry, UM BWMC's Director of Emergency Services and Emergency Management, said.
Sperry said mass-casualty events across the country underscore the importance of preparing should the hospital need to respond.
"It's our responsibility as a hospital and community partner to be prepared to handle such an event," Sperry said.
Drills like the one conducted Wednesday are usually completed two to four times a year, Sperry said.
This is the first drill in a while due to the COVID pandemic, according to Vibhakar.
Hospital operations were not disrupted Wednesday, as extra staff was scheduled, hospital management said.
