VICTIMS NEEDED FOR DRILL; OFFICIALS HURTING FOR MOCK INJURED

The Missouri Department of Health is looking for victims to participate in this weekend's Steel Cure II exercise.

The simulation begins Friday at about 8 a.m. with a mock earthquake registering 7.4 on the Richter scale

The Friday component of the exercise will reflect the local community's effort to deal with injured persons under disastrous circumstances.

Volunteers are needed throughout the day Friday to act as victims of the quake, said Jim Lawrence, Missouri Department of Health bureau of emergency medical services training specialist.

The Cape Girardeau Fire Department and emergency medical personnel will practice rescue and emergency medical care for victims trapped in a collapsed structure, the old Harris Truck and Trailer building at Independence and Kingshighway.

Later in the morning, victims will be transported to Southeast Missouri Hospital and St. Francis Medical Center for simulated disaster operations at each hospital.

Another 40 volunteers are still needed for that morning. A total of 72 casualties are planned. Lawrence said volunteers are needed to portray 18 fatalities also.

A similar number of volunteers are needed for the afternoon and evening.

Twenty victims are also needed at both Delta and Jackson.

Lawrence said safety is a key consideration during the operation. Each site has individuals assigned to watch out for the safety of victims, rescue and medical personnel.

Volunteers for the morning session will report to the A.C. Brase Arena Building at 7:30 a.m. "We will apply theatrical makeup and be coaching them," Lawrence said.

"If they are supposed to have broken bones that are exposed, they will have broken bones that are exposed. If they are supposed to be bleeding, they will be bleeding," Lawrence said.

He said volunteers should wear old clothes because clothes might get dirty, torn or cut during the simulation.

"We want rescuers to treat the volunteers as much like real-life victims as possible," he said.

Each victim will be given instructions concerning their injuries and appropriate responses to medical or rescue personnel questions.

At 8 a.m. the victims will be taken to the collapsed building and around 9 a.m. fire and ambulance personnel will remove and treat the victims.

At the same time both hospitals will conduct damage assessments and activate emergency response plans, Lawrence said.

At about 11 a.m. victims will be transported to the hospitals by ambulance or van.

"The hospitals will be doing triage outside and then moving victims to an inside area," Lawrence said. "Hospitals will be doing patient care and prioritization until 1 p.m."

At 1 p.m. the volunteer victims will be taken back to the Arena Building and fed by the American Red Cross. That agency is practicing its response to a need for a mass feeding.

Volunteers may then leave or stay through the afternoon or evening.

Volunteers are needed from 2-9 p.m. Lawrence has four-hour blocks of times for volunteers. He said volunteers are especially needed for the morning session and from 2-6 p.m.

Local victims will not be transported by the military due to liability concerns, Lawrence said.

"It's a tremendous learning environment and it should be very interesting," Lawrence said.

"This is not just related to earthquake preparation," he said. "It can be applied to any type of multiple injury incident: a bus accident, storms, flooding."

Anyone interested in volunteering may call Lawrence's office at 290-5830.