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State Representative Leon Lillie
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-1188
For more information contact: Christina Gosack 651-296-5524
NEWS COLUMN
Simulation Helps Maplewood Prepare for Disaster
In this post-Katrina era, it's not often we hear good news about our communities' preparedness for disaster. But a recent simulation that took place at the Myth nightclub in Maplewood showed that Maplewood police and fire, St. John's Hospital, Ramsey County and the FBI are focused on perfecting their coordinated response should disaster strike. Locally elected officials like myself were given the opportunity to observe the drill, and I can tell you that it was an eye-opening day and an informative experience.
The disaster preparedness drill tested fire and police responses to disaster and the ability of St. John's Hospital in Maplewood to take in a large number of victims. The drill involved between 250 and 275 police officers, firefighters, hospital personnel and community members.
Participants were faced with the following scenario: an explosion inside the Myth nightclub with over 50 victims, and the threat of a secondary explosion. Maplewood Fire Chief and Emergency Management Director Steve Lukin and Policy Chief Dave Thomalla were among the few who knew the details of the scenario ahead of time. By keeping the details unknown, they were able to more closely test the strengths and weaknesses of participants' response to a real emergency.
The Myth nightclub, which volunteered its facilities for the exercise, was filled with smoke to simulate an explosion. High school actors and parents played explosion victims, realistically made up to appear injured. Surrounding businesses accommodated the temporary disruption as emergency response teams including the St. Paul bomb squad, the Ramsey County Medical Examiner and the FBI joined in the drill and mock investigation.
The 2 ½- hour drill took eight months to prepare, and was funded through a grant from the federal Department of Homeland Security. Police Chief Thomalla explained that the event brought out strengths of the different departments involved and their ability to communicate during a disaster, as well as potential areas of improvement. While the exercise focused on an explosion, it was valuable for other types of disaster the community could face as well.
Preparing for a disaster requires a community effort, and the volunteers, the Myth nightclub, and surrounding businesses deserve our appreciation for making this important exercise possible. I have also always been impressed by how neighboring police and fire departments cover for one another during important drills and events such as this.
One lesson of Katrina is that local police and fire have to step up to the plate on disaster preparedness. It's critical that drills like the one in Maplewood continue to be funded. While it would be very difficult for a single department to afford the expense, the exercise was clearly valuable. The first needs and the first response to disaster will be local, and our local public safety officers have to be ready to respond long before the federal or state government will be able to intervene, particularly with so many of our Minnesota National Guard serving overseas.
I appreciate the hard work and vigilance of our law enforcement and fire departments as they continue to focus on keeping our community safe and prepared.
You can reach me at (651) 296-1188, by e-mail at rep.leon.lillie@house.mn, or at 353 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Saint Paul, MN 55155.
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