May 05, 2015

Media Advisory – Mock Disaster

Reporters, photographers and news crews are welcome to cover a mock disaster on Thursday, May 7, that is designed to test the skills of students in an advanced first aid class at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. 

The scenario will involve a building collapse caused by a gas explosion. In addition to about 20 students, participants will include personnel from the Carbondale Fire Department, Jackson County Ambulance Service, SIU’s Department of Public Safety and the volunteer Jackson County Medical Corps, along with Mike Maddox, Emergency Medical Services Region 5 coordinator. 

Peggy A. Wilken, the assistant clinical professor of health education who teaches the Health Education 434/Advanced First Aid class, has been using mock disasters over the past 20 years to test what students have learned during the semester. Students will locate and treat disaster “victims” suffering from burns, crushing, laceration and other injuries that would be found in a real disaster. Students must pass the test in order to be certified emergency medical responders. 

The training exercise will begin at 9:30 a.m. at the Fire Personnel Training Station, 109 Bigler Road. The site, on the east side of Carbondale, is at the Illinois Fire Institute Carbondale Regional Training Site, near the sewer station. It is south of Old Illinois Highway 13/East Walnut Street. Organizers ask that media planning to cover the drill be in place by that time. The event will wrap up no later than about 11:30 a.m. 

For more information, contact Wilken at 618/453-1832 or by email at wilken@siu.edu prior to the day of the event.