Mass casualty drill at Valley Medical Center

Emergency responders donned protective suits with cooling vests to beat the warmth outside Valley Medical Center's emergency room to assist triage quite a lot of “patients” during a mass casualty exercise. Patients included local nursing students acting out their symptoms, including one crying for his daughter, and several other pacifiers, a few of which were inflated, which employees needed to decontaminate.

According to Jennifer Tong, MD, Santa Clara Valley Healthcare's chief experience officer and disaster response team leader, the disaster exercise simulated an explosion at a serious sporting event here within the Bay Area. The injured were covered in an unknown white powder and needed to be cleared of doubtless hazardous substances before being taken to hospital.

“Our exercise here today really focuses on what happens after patients arrive at the hospital,” Tong said. “Maybe they come by ambulance or by private car.

“We are focused on how we would triage these patients, who needs to go to the hospital first and how we would ensure that these individuals can enter the hospital safely and are no longer covered in hazardous materials.”

Valley Medical typically conducts two to 3 mass casualty drills per 12 months, some and not using a hazardous materials component. Approximately 100 emergency responders from several departments took part within the training, including emergency department, radiology, language services, social work and members of the Red Cross.

“This is really a critical part of our preparedness for any type of major disaster incident here in the Bay Area,” Tong said. The incidents they train for can range from accidental to deliberate, reminiscent of a terrorist attack. They practice and prepare to avoid wasting lives after they encounter such scenarios.

Lyan Cogan, registered nurse, and Mario Holguin, security guard at Protective Services, were confronted by a “patient” who was staggering, appeared drunk, belligerent and shouting profanities. She was played by Mission College nursing student Masashi Endo. Endo needed to be “decontaminated” before being taken to the hospital. He appeared to have fully recovered and can graduate from Mission College next week.