TORNADO DRILL PROVES A BREEZE TO P&G WORKERS

A tornado drill at the Procter & Gamble plant Thursday proved to be a breeze even for the "victims" dressed in fake blood and carried out on stretchers.

The morning exercise had officials smiling at the sprawling paper products plant north of Cape Girardeau. They said it was the most extensive disaster drill at the plant in 20 years.

David Hitt, Cape Girardeau County's emergency preparedness director, also was pleased by the two-hour exercise that involved a number of emergency services agencies as well as P&G employees.

"Overall, I think it went real, real well," said Hitt.

He said the mock disaster disclosed a few minor glitches in communications, but otherwise the emergency operations ran smoothly.

The mock disaster began at 8:30. The scenario: A tornado struck P&G's huge warehouse, injuring a number of employees and knocking out power and telephone service. A truck driver also was injured as he was leaving the plant.

P&G's Donna McLain assessed the damage at the end of the exercise. "We had 19 injured and two fatalities," she told reporters gathered under a tent outside the plant.

The mock casualties apparently were well worth it.

McLain, who serves as P&G's emergency response team leader, said the exercise would help the plant better prepare for a real disaster. "I think it went well," she said.

About 200 people participated in the disaster drill, including 100 or more P&G employees.

Some 500 P&G employees remained on the job as the plant continued to operate throughout the disaster exercise.

P&G's fire brigade and emergency response team responded to the disaster when alarms sounded at the plant at 8:30.

The plant's nursing staff and emergency medical personnel tended to the injured, who were placed on cots under a shade tree near the warehouse.

A short time later, the Cape Girardeau County mobile emergency operations vehicle arrived on the scene to coordinate communications.

The East Cape County and Fruitland fire departments sent several fire trucks to the scene. As part of the exercise, the firefighters attended to an injured truck driver and dealt with barrels simulating a "hazardous" material incident.

Ambulances transported the injured to Cape Girardeau's two hospitals. Two of the victims were transported from the scene by Air Evac and LifeBeat helicopters.

Cape Girardeau County's sheriff's department, health department and coroner's office participated in the exercise, along with P&G's security service.

Several Cape Girardeau County officeholders observed the exercise.

Hitt said it was important to have a drill that involved both P&G personnel and outside emergency services.

"I think it is critical for us to be involved in this," he said. "They can't do this on their own."

Still, P&G's Larry Stahlman said it is important for the company's employees to know how to respond in an emergency.

The plant is in a rural area along Highway 177, about 15 miles both from Cape Girardeau and Jackson.

"We are so far out, we have to have it," Stahlman said of the plant's emergency response operations.

In the event of a disaster, it could take at least 15 minutes for emergency personnel from outside agencies to reach the scene, said Stahlman, the plant's public affairs manager.

He said the company's emergency response team includes employees who have had experience in handling medical emergencies with ambulance services or volunteer fire departments in their hometowns.

Those involved in emergency operations are all volunteers, drawn from every area of the plant, Stahlman said.