As a first for the STN EXPO, attendees will be given the opportunity to experience a mock school bus crash put on by Schools Prepare and Ready Together Across Nevada, or SPARTAN, a collaborative project that aims to keep schools prepared for emergency situations.
The event, which has been named the “Broken Axle Reno Exercise,” will take place on July 27, 2011, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. It will feature a staged vehicle collision that involves two loaded school buses, one regular education and one special needs, set up traversing down a mountain pass highway.
“The elements of the exercise that will be tested will be the first responders ability to extricate individuals from the vehicles, establishing a medical triage area, test the medical surge capabilities in the area’s children’s emergency room, and school site and district emergency operations teams working to track students and work to manage and support the needs of the incident,” said Chris Smith, the emergency manager for Reno’s Washoe County School District (WCSD).
The exercise will be held in conjunction with the S.P.A.R.T.A.N. Conference, a two-day school emergency planning meeting which will include workshop sessions on the first day and the exercise on day two. The planning team for the exercise consists of multiple agencies, including traditional first responders, as well as the medical examiner’s office, the local Amateur Radio Emergency Services, the Health Department and WCSD.
“Emergencies can happen to anyone, anywhere,” said Smith. “Schools are not immune to emergencies and we must be prepared to handle these trying situations, right, the first time. We do not get a chance to do it over in real time, so these exercises are critical to us getting it right, when it matters the most, when children and staff are involved in an emergency situation.”
For those who want to put on a similar exercise, Smith warned that it is a lengthy process, if you want to do things right. S.P.A.R.T.A.N. began the planning process for the event six months ago. He advised to meet up with the local emergency manager and ask for assistance.
“Less is more when it comes to exercises, as they will become very complex on their own,” said Smith, adding that he hopes everyone involved and on hand to see the exercise will learn the basics of incident management involving schools, children and staff. “We must have solid processes in place in our communities that insure that schools, and school districts are involved in all regional emergency planning. Schools serve and protect the children of every community in the country, every single work day.”
The 18th Annual STN EXPO is scheduled for July 23-27 at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno. See the full conference agenda.
