With an increasing number of emergency incidents occurring on campuses across the country, response training has never been more important and Hamilton College is hosting a training event this week.
In its continuing focus on developing and maintaining the readiness of its emergency response team, Hamilton College is conducting a large-scale emergency preparedness exercise on July 23, from approximately 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and will involve a large group of emergency service providers.
The exercise will take place on campus, with activities centered around the Taylor Science Center. The Hamilton exercises are among the most extensive operations in fulfillment of the yearly Clery Act mandate that every college conduct a test of its crisis systems.
A bolder approach
While some colleges hold tabletop briefings or have meetings to discuss their plans, Hamilton takes a bolder approach.
The following is a list of all who will be participating in this half-day exercise with Hamilton’s Emergency Response Team.
The participants will experience a full-scale, realistic drill meant to test teamwork, communications, and response times. Responders are unaware of the scenario ahead of time.
A bit more on the exercise
Although the exact nature of the exercise has not been revealed, it will include significant injuries, fire, and air support. The college will engage community members in roles as victims and witnesses.
Victims will have makeup applied to generate lifelike injuries to allow medical responders to practice diagnosing potential problems.
“This drill is about proactive readiness,” said Campus Safety Director Judie Trimboli in a statement. “The administration believes strongly that we must be prepared for any emergency situation on campus. By putting our Hamilton College Emergency Response Team, along with local partners in emergency response and management, to the test today using the Incident Command System, we ensure Hamilton is ready to address these challenging situations.”
This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Emergency response training planned at Hamilton College
Reporting by Casey Pritchard, Utica Observer Dispatch / Observer-Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Casey Pritchard, Utica Observer Dispatch | USA TODAY Network
