Over the next month, local emergency responders will be conducting practice sessions to help them prepare to deal with what is called a Mass Casualty Incident (MCI), or any incident where the number of victims exceeds the resources initially responding. The drills will be held at 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on April 9-12, 30 and May 1-3.
In years past, a typical MCI would be a school bus full of children involved in a vehicle crash or employees of a company being exposed to a chemical leak. Currently, we see in the news stories of mass shootings or explosive devices placed near a crowd of people. While MCI incidents do not happen often, they do happen so the fire departments and other emergency responders of South King County are working to ensure that they are as ready as possible to deal with them.
King County has been a leader in the field of emergency response for many years. The King County Medic One program is a standard for excellence and has been a role model for many other emergency response programs. The upcoming MCI drills are one of the first chances for firefighters and paramedics to practice the new MCI protocols being used by King County.
The MCI drills will be taking place at Kent’s ShoWare Center (625 W. James St. Kent, WA 98032). A scenario where multiple people have been shot is being used, to simulate a real situation. Volunteers from local high schools, CERT programs, and Explorer Scouts will play the part of the victims as firefighters and paramedics respond to their calls for help. The drills have been designed to test and practice King County’s MCI plan and will not involve a police response.
The goal of the drills is to make emergency responders very familiar with the new MCI plan. The new plan is the result of changes to the previous MCI protocols deemed necessary to improve the response and treatment of victims during a mass casualty incident.
During the above dates, large numbers of emergency vehicles will be traveling and parking in the area of ShoWare Center. The Kent Fire Department will work to minimize the impact to the community and appreciate their understanding and patience. Fire Departments from throughout South King County will be participating as well as the Redmond Fire Department and King County Medic One.
The media is invited to attend and cover the drills. The participating fire departments and King County Medic one welcome the media and hope that this is an opportunity for the public to see their efforts to improve emergency response during a large scale incident.
In addition to a fire department Public Information Officer, representatives from ShoWare Center and King County Medic One will be on hand to answer any questions. Please contact Captain Kyle Ohashi for further information at 206-450-8400.
