Ky. County Plans Emergency Preparedness Drills for This Week

(TNS) – Two routine emergency preparedness exercises from the Madison County EMA/CSEPP are scheduled this week.

A Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP) exercise will take place on Wednesday, June 14 at the Blue Grass Army Depot (BGAD) and additional decontamination exercises from Madison County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) will take place on Tuesday, June 13 at two Madison County sites.

Blue Grass Chemical Activity first responders, along with BGAD and Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant, are slated to participate in this exercise with support from Madison County Emergency Management Agency.

According to officials, decontamination exercises are a collective effort between Madison County, City of Richmond, and City of Berea first responders.

According to Madison County EMA/CSEPP’s Public Relations Coordinator Mackenzie Davis, during the decontamination exercise, volunteer “patients” will arrive to First Baptist Church Richmond or Farristown Middle School.

“Using fake snot for runny noses and best sick-day impressions, patients will pretend to be symptomatic of chemical exposure and go through a decontamination process that first responders are trained to do in the field without major medical facilities,” she explained.

The process, according to Davis, looks like this:

First, a heavy shower from a fire truck will wash contaminants off a person and into wastewater collection bags. Patients will continue into a shower tent where sprayers and soap are used for more thorough washing.

Once people exit their shower tent, EMS personnel will use a ChemPro chemical detection device to check for remaining contaminants. This is also where Duo-dotes, an antidote injection, may be administered. Some people may only require a single Duo-dote, while patients with more severe symptoms may need additional Duo-dote injections, assistance in the shower tent, or immediate transportation to partner hospitals like Baptist Health Richmond or St. Joseph Berea.

Officials advise that residents and travelers around the depot may hear the Westminster Chimes as a part of the June 14 exercise.

While officials said the likelihood of a chemical accident at the Blue Grass Army Depot is low, residents can be a “Partner in Preparedness” by knowing their zone, practicing shelter-in-place drills at home or work, creating a family emergency plan and seeking more information at www.madisoncountyky.us/ema or www.prepareky.com.

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