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IHMD schedules disaster exercise in Atlanta


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Athens, GA. - Two simulated terrorist incidents will occur on the highways around Atlanta and one on I-20 near Newton on April 17. The "accidents" will involve tanker trucks and several automobiles. Several hundred citizens will become poisoned or contaminated, as will some fire and police personnel who respond to the scene to rescue victims; all will be transported to area hospitals and emergency medical centers. Eventually the numbers of those requiring medical attention will exceed the capabilities of Atlanta metro hospitals and require transportation to outlying facilities.

The simulated disaster is a unique exercise modeling hospital-specific conditions. The event is being conducted by the The Institute for Health Management and Mass Destruction Defense (IHMD) at the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy, with funding from the Georgia Public Health Department and exercise support from the Georgia Hospital Authority.

Some 22 hospitals and other entities will be utilized in the exercise, with seven functioning at the highest level (Level 3) of disaster utilization - Grady Hospital, Newton Medical Center, Emory Eastside Medical Center, Emory Crawford Long, Emory University, Emory Police Department, Emory Eastside and Wesley Woods. The Level 3 hospitals are located in the area most affected by the contaminated chemical spill or plumes of toxic smoke. Activated decontamination teams will receive casualties by ambulance or by self transportation.

Hospitals functioning at Level 2 and Level 1 are located in areas not affected by spill or plume, but will receive casualties by ambulance or self transportation. Level 2 hospitals will exercise decontamination teams; Level 1 hospitals will receive only those patients who have been decontaminated at other hospitals.

Results of the training exercise will later be evaluated to determine capabilities in surge, isolation, communications, security, and incident command. Hospitals will use the assessment reports to improve their readiness in treating victims of an impending disaster.