SIKESTON CREWS PREPARE FOR 'DISASTER'

SIKESTON -- A disaster is coming and it is heading for Sikeston. At least that is what seemingly will happen on June 5 when emergency personnel in Sikeston hold an outdoor disaster exercise.

The exercise will simulate a disaster, such as a tornado or plane crash, in Sikeston. Department of Public Safety Captain Drew Juden and Sikeston Street Superintendent Tom Bridger are heading up the exercise but won't let on as to what kind of disaster the exercise will simulate.

"The key to this is for emergency personnel to work through this as if it were a real disaster," Juden said. The drill is designed for the city staff, as well Emergency Medical Services, the Board of Municipal Utilities, sheriff, highway patrol and others to have a similar plan if a disaster strikes.

Emergency crews from all over the area will help in the exercise. "All of the area emergency response organizations from Cape to Poplar Bluff to the state line have been invited to participate," Juden said. He said that Scott County will test their emergency center in Morley and the Fire Mutual Aid program where fire departments in other towns use their equipment to help others.

"Our goal is to get more familiar with the plan that exists through the county and organizations so we will be more prepared for a disaster if one should occur," Juden said. "This will help us prepare for anything like a plane crash, bus crash or where there are a large number of casualties."

Felicia Blanton, public relations director for Missouri Delta Medical Center, said the drill will benefit them as well, even though they already practice emergency situations annually. "The extra training helps," Blanton said. "It will be good for us to exercise their plans and work with DPS and EMS. We have a wider, more important goal which is to work together."

Juden said he thinks he and Bridger were chosen to head the operation because they were in Sikeston when a tornado hit in 1986. "I don't ever want us to see something like that happen here again, but we want to be prepared if it does," Juden said. "It's the little things that get you."

Juden said the most important thing they found that was needed in the tornado of 1986 was the city garage. "We had every piece of equipment on the road with flat tires from nails that had been blown into the road with debris," Juden said. "It is the things that we normally don't have to deal with on a regular basis that we try to find."