We hope disasters never happen, but we also want to be prepared when they do.
A mock disaster exercise is taking place in Kincardine this morning.
30 students taking part in the MedQuest program to encourage careers in health care will be taking part.
Myrna Inglis, Chair of the Walkerton MedQuest Camp says one third of the students will be taking part as casualities who will be treated by the various first responders such as firefighters and paramedics.
Inglis says the others will be observers with EMS paramedics and firefighters and see how responders assess casualities, prioritize them, and decide how to move them out of harms way.
She says MedQuest talks with firefighters and EMS leadership early in the year to find out what skills they want new staff members to know, and if there is new equipment they need to learn to use through practice.
The mock disaster takes place from 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM at the former Westario building in Kincardine.
This year’s disaster will involve a car crashing into a gas pump, complete with a mock explosion, fire and chemical spill.