Nearly 200 nursing students from Piedmont College will get some hands-on training during a disaster drill scheduled for Wednesday, March 24 on the college's Demorest campus.
The Piedmont College R.H. Daniel School of Nursing & Health Sciences has organized the annual event, inviting medical professionals and emergency workers from around the region to participate in the annual event. This year's drill will involve a simulated tornado and a resulting fire, according to Associate Professor Karen Greilich. The drill will be staged on the grounds of the Swanson Center for the Performing Arts.
Piedmont Police Chief Jim Andrews said agencies involved in the annual drill include the City of Demorest Police and Fire departments, Habersham County Medical Center and EMS, Habersham County Fire Department, Sheriff’s Office, 911/Emergency Management Agency, the Georgia Emergency Management Agency/Homeland Security, Habersham Search and Rescue and District Two Public Health Administration. A new agency to the Drill this year will be Northeast Georgia Health System Trauma and Acute Care Services, which plans to bring trauma nurses, resident physicians, and their simulation bus (mobile hospital rooms).
A helicopter, drones and rescue dogs have been invited to participate in this year’s drill.
Greilich said theater students will assist with realistic makeup and pyrotechnics for the drill, and communications students will simulate a press response. In all, more than 400 students and volunteers will participate in the drill, and additional people are expected to spectate.
"We want to make it a very realistic event so that it will be beneficial for all of the agencies involved," Greilich said. “Each year, our campus community and area emergency response personnel come together to create this incredible real-world learning experience for our students.”
