LUBBOCK, Texas — Agencies across Lubbock teamed up for emergency training for the first time in three years. First responders worked together to put out a downed-plane fire, address mass casualties, and keep the public calm.
“I’ve been in this job for more than 28 years, and I’ve seen a lot of things, but there’s a lot I haven’t seen,” said Bill Glass, Battalion Chief with Lubbock Fire Rescue. “It’s not ‘if’ these things are going to happen, it’s ‘when’ they do.”
This was a simulation of a disaster, but was meant to mimic the real thing.
Victims, who were actually volunteers, were sent to hospitals across town to assess their injuries. Trauma teams and EMT’s met patients at the door, and took them to the emergency room.
“It’s all about muscle memory,” said Dr. Charles Bayouth, Covenant Medical Center. “Just like how a NBA player shoots at the freethrow line, this is how the city tries to get better with mass casualties.”
No one was actually injured or killed during the exercises. Lubbock Fire Rescue said the training overall went smoothly, and no major calls were made during that time.
