Counties and state partner in crisis preparedness
By Ann B. Doran Sentinel writer

Sentinel photo/Ann B. Doran Clay County volunteers prepare to suit up for hands-on practice at the fire station in Hayesville last Saturday.

Clay County Rescue personnel; EMS and Paramedics, firefighters and law enforcement officers, together with Cherokee and Graham county parallel teams, including a S.W.A.T. team based in Murphy, are partnering with the N.C. State Medical Assistance Team (SMAT) to have in place volunteers capable of responding to any chemical or biological accident or even an attack.

On Saturday, they ended an initial 24- hour training series spread over the past two weeks. The classes were led by David Crisp, head of the Murphy SMAT team, to teach volunteer teams to be ready to respond to these unlikely but possible circumstances. Other team leaders are Pam Crisp and Ricky Lancaster for the Clay Co. portion of the tri counties. This is a statewide effort to put together teams with the ability to respond when people may become contaminated or sick due to such a crisis event.

The volunteers and other state and county agency personnel will be fully trained to decontaminate people and provide medical care on site with the equipment and assistance of the State Medical Assistance Team trailers. Each trailer contains 250 bags and tags and encompasses approximately $90,000 worth of equipment within each trailer. The state now has around 30 of these trailers.

Sentinel photo/Ann B. Doran Two class members practice scrubbing a "victim" with special equipment provided by the State Medical Assistance Team. Volunteers wore Tychem suits that include the oxygen masks and are sealed around any openings such as above the boots with industrial tape.

At the accident site, contaminated persons would strip, then lie down on the moving belt and prepare to be sprayed and scrubbed free of contaminants. The plan calls for four persons working inside the tent and four persons outside and ready to relieve the working crew inside the tent.

For practice purposes, Clay Co.'s loyal dummy "Rescue Randy" was used by the class members to perfect their techniques.

Saturday's session, held at the Clay Co. Fire Station, marked the end of lectures and classwork. It was time for the class members to suit up and really go through the motions they had been taught. They wore Tychem suits by Dupont, which are completely fluid and splash resistant. The cost is about $80 per full suit. Saturday's class was comprised of 16 Clay Co. volunteers plus their teacher, David Crisp.

The tri-counties of Clay, Cherokee and Graham are working closely together for this preparedness training.

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