Community Disaster Drill Wednesday in Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE — Several local and county agencies will prepare for the unthinkable this morning, when a community-wide disaster drill will begin on the Jacksonville Middle School campus. Officials say it should occur between about 8:00 and 11:00 or 11:30am. According to a news release, the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) will simulate an active shooting and hostage incident where school districts in Jacksonville and Rusk will test their emergency response plans. Portrayed victims will be triaged at the scene and transported to local hospitals as needed.

The initial incident will occur on the Jacksonville Middle School campus, and Rusk Independent School District will participate as the incident escalates with a mock-up anthrax attack. Local Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) volunteers will open a Point of Dispensing (POD) site at the Rusk High School and simulate dispensing prophylactic antibiotics to citizens exposed to agent.

According to Paul White, Fire Chief, “the Community Emergency Response Team has been in place for several years and strives to promote partnering between first responders, hospitals, city officials and citizens of Cherokee County. CERT has been established as part of the emergency response capability and we continue to provide education in disaster preparedness and response for area residents.”

“Emergency preparedness cannot happen in a vacuum; therefore it is critical for agencies to collaborate when preparing for events such as this. Agencies must coordinate planning efforts within the context of the community. This exercise allows stakeholders to have a better understanding of local, state and regional resources, improve organizational processes, and address any future needs,” explained Karen Adams, ETMC Jacksonville, committee co-chair.

“It’s important for our patients to know that every drill brings our staff to a higher level of readiness should a real disaster occur,” said Paul Duncan of Trinity Mother Frances-Jacksonville, who also serves as co-chair of the event. “We take each aspect of these planned events seriously and make adjustments to our policies and procedures based on what we learn works well and what needs modification. We are proud to be a part of this.”

The day of the exercise is a scheduled Teacher Work Day and will not involve JISD students. Because of emergency vehicle traffic in the area of the event, community members may wish to plan alternate travel routes to avoid any delays.

Agencies involved with the drill include: Cherokee County Public Health Department, Cherokee County Emergency Management Coordinator, Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department, ETMC EMS, ETMC Jacksonville, East Texas Council of Governments, Jacksonville Fire Department, Jacksonville Independent School District, Jacksonville Police Department, Trinity Mother Frances Jacksonville, Rusk Independent School District, Rusk Police Department and Piney Woods Regional Advisory Council Trauma G.