mailin 0 #1 September 23, 2004 I've been involved with several of these exercises in my job at Rhode Island Hospital (usually explosions at the airport) so I think they're pretty cool... but... Wackos Against Schools and Education?? They'll have to be more original than pining homeschoolers as the 'root of all evil' http://www.mlive.com/news/muchronicle/index.ssf?/base/news-5/109569331454310.xml Mock attack will test terrorism response Monday, September 20, 2004 By Lynn Moore CHRONICLE STAFF WRITER Terrorists will strike a busload of students in the Whitehall area on Tuesday, killing more than a half-dozen and sending dozens more to hospitals. It's not a crystal ball that allows such a disaster to be foreseen. It's all in the plans -- disaster preparedness plans, that is. The disaster won't be real, but it will look real, and the participants -- including students, emergency room personnel and firefighters -- will act as if it's real. The exercise, one that is becoming familiar in the post 9/11 era, is part of attempts by emergency responders and Muskegon County school districts to prepare for the worst. The exercise, which will involve the aftermath of a supposed explosion on a school bus at 9:30 a.m. at Durham and Holton-Whitehall roads in Whitehall Township, is being funded by homeland security grants awarded to several area school districts and Muskegon County. Local school district transportation directors instigated the exercise because they wanted to test their abilities to respond to emergencies, said Tom Spoelman, transportation consultant for the Muskegon Area Intermediate School District. They eventually hooked up with Muskegon County Emergency Services, and planning for the event has been under way for about a year, Spoelman said. The exercise will test not only school transportation directors, but also the Muskegon County Emergency Operations Plan, which involves many agencies throughout the county. About 60 middle and high school students from Reeths-Puffer and Whitehall public schools will be part of the exercise, according to Kristin Tank, public information coordinator for the MAISD. Local law enforcement agencies, fire departments, human service agencies, transportation services and medical services will participate. Students from Muskegon Community College and Reeths-Puffer will assist in applying makeup to add to the reality of the gruesome scene. Between 200 and 300 people will observe the exercise, including school bus drivers, school administrators, emergency personnel and evaluators from agencies across the state who will provide feedback. The exercise will simulate an attack by a fictitious radical group called Wackos Against Schools and Education who believe everyone should be homeschooled. Under the scenario, a bomb is placed on the bus and is detonated while the bus is traveling on Durham, causing the bus to land on its side and fill with smoke. The exercise will begin with the bus -- an out-of-service vehicle donated by Ravenna Public Schools -- on its side, having been placed there by Dale's 24 Hour Towing Service, which is donating its time and resources. Fire departments will respond and test their abilities to get at victims inside a mangled bus. Hackley and Mercy General both will be able to test their new emergency rooms, each of which will get between 15 and 20 "victims." Eight or nine deceased students, represented by mannequins, will be transported to the county morgue, Tank said. Frantic parents will be part of the staged disaster, flocking to schools and hospital emergency rooms. The exercise is similar to an event staged a year ago at Heritage Landing that involved a mock chemical disaster, which also was the supposed work of terrorists and tested the county's emergency preparedness. White Lake Fire Authority Chief Bob Phillips said his department is lucky to be heavily involved in Tuesday's exercise by virtue of the location planners chose. "The potential exists (for a devastating incident) every day the school buses are on the road," Phillips said. "It's not something that happens a lot, but it's something we need to be trained in. "That's what we're hoping for is to learn what works and what doesn't work before an incident actually happens."Arianna Frances Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
misskriss 0 #2 September 23, 2004 I know at my girls' schools they do drills like that. It's no longer just fire drills, it's intruder drills as well. They have secret codes that they announce over the PA system when an alleged "intruder" is in the building-- " Mr. Hand, the squirrel has dropped his nuts.." Obviously not that but something that instructs the teachers to lock the classroom doors. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lawrocket 3 #3 September 23, 2004 Yeah. I like that. "Homeschoolers" are the ones you'd suspect would bomb a busload. Interesting propoganda. "Homeschoolers" are "wackos" seems to be the underlying message. My wife is hotter than your wife. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wmw999 2,589 #4 September 23, 2004 I think they're just having fun with it, and picked something that the school kids (who were undoubtedly having a blast with all this drama) could identify with. Not their brightest idea, but "baby seals for Jesus" was already taken Wendy W.There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheAnvil 0 #5 September 23, 2004 Michele Malkin wrote an article about this. Amazing how when Rod Paige calls the NEA 'terrorists' - socialists would be more apropos - they come unglued. But calling homeschoolers 'wacko's and 'terrorists' is just fine and dandy. Oh well... Vinny the Anvil Post Traumatic Didn't Make The Lakers Syndrome is REAL JACKASS POWER!!!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peacefuljeffrey 0 #6 September 23, 2004 QuoteYeah. I like that. "Homeschoolers" are the ones you'd suspect would bomb a busload. Interesting propoganda. "Homeschoolers" are "wackos" seems to be the underlying message. Exactly. There is no question that this "exercise" is being co-opted by anti-home-schoolers. Otherwise, why name the fictitious group anything at all?! Why not "Terrorist Group A"? I'm surprised they didn't do something like "Gun-control Opponent Whackos" instead. Maybe if they were doing the exercise in Littleton, CO... -Jeffrey-Jeffrey "With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
