To the casual observer, it would appear as the site of a gruesome accident — paramedics and firefighters respond to victims on the ground near an overturned school bus, a railroad car and multiple crashed cars.
The scene was a drill — a test of the county’s resources and response, but in an emergency scenario with unknown chemicals involved, the value of drone technology becomes apparent.
“Probably the most valuable information you could glean today is what’s in that tank car,” Chief Deputy Don Newman said as he observed drone footage from the command van. “The placard on the tank car tells us what chemicals are in the tank car.”
Drone technology allowed responders to read the placard identifying what chemicals were involved — without exposing more people.
“The minute a chemical is involved, it completely changes the game,” sheriff’s office spokeswoman Lori Stewart said.
Wednesday’s emergency training scenario took nearly 100 people. Stewart said she believes this is the first time the drone has been used in a full-scale exercise.
The exercise will be used to evaluate the response of personnel, communications and equipment to an emergency. It was part of a series of trainings under Twin Falls County Department of Emergency Services. It is a required compliance measure for the county’s use of federal funds for training programs, Emergency Services Coordinator Jackie Frey said.
“It’s a tremendous combined effort of over 29 agencies,” she said. “We spent months planning and training for this.”
Participating entities included the Twin Falls County Sheriff’s Office, Twin Falls Police Department, Rock Creek Rural Fire Protection District, St. Luke’s Magic Valley Medical Center, Magic Valley Paramedics, Twin Falls County Emergency Operations Center and other agencies. The South Central Public Health District helped facilitate the planning.
The agencies that took part had the chance to shape what they wanted to test out.
“When we figure out what we want to test, we start putting that scenario together,” Stewart said.
Trish Heath, emergency management coordinator and registered nurse for St. Luke’s Magic Valley, said her team practiced using the decontamination tent on actors that had been “contaminated” with the chemical organophosphate, which is used frequently in insecticides in this area. When exposed to large amounts, people can suffer respiratory or other health problems.
“We try to look at different realistic circumstances we can all practice with,” Heath said.
While St. Luke’s practices with the decontamination tent at least once a year, she said, it’s beneficial to do exercises with multiple agencies.
“When you do a drill as a community, you get that sense of urgency,” she said.
Stewart said one of the “victims” of the chemical spill — Sgt. Ken Mencl — had a weapon on him when he was rescued. Ambulance personnel had to determine how to handle that situation, she said.
The drone footage will give agencies a different perspective on the day’s events, Mencl said. Agencies intend to use drone video footage to evaluate their response and behavior in the situation.
“It helps them understand what this whole situation looked like and gives them some tools in their basket,” he said.
Newman said the drone’s battery can last about 15 minutes, but it takes only about 5 minutes to upload the video once it’s landed. Still shots can be used to zoom in close to captured events.
“I think that every drill that you do, there’s areas of improvement,” Frey said, “and there’s areas you succeed in.”
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©2016 The Times-News (Twin Falls, Idaho)
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