Post Messenger Recorder -

On Saturday, October 3, 2015, a training exercise will be conducted at the Monticello Public Schools and at the Zwingli Church. Along with Monticello Fire and First Response, many other response agencies will also be participating. Other volunteers will also be participating as role players as injured victims and they will have special makeup, called moulage, applied to look as though they have been severely injured. Exercise activities will begin at 6:30 a.m. and conclude around 1:30 p.m. Residents in these areas may notice increased traffic and response vehicles coming and going from the school and Fire Department.

Tanna McKeon, Director of the Green County Emergency Management Office, received Homeland Security Grants to provide a series of exercises that tested the plans and coordination of multiple agencies responding to a large emergency involving dozens of injured persons. The prior exercises were classroom based and the full-scale exercise is a hands-on exercise in which first responders will use their emergency equipment and perform as if they were in an actual situation. Communications - not only our equipment - but how multiple agencies will be communicating and sharing information will be tested as well.

Monticello Public Schools will be the setting for this exercise and they will be testing their emergency plans and utilizing a family assistance center. Their students and families are volunteering as our “victims” for this exercise.

The Monroe Clinic will also be testing their Emergency Room when the “victims” are transported to their Emergency Department. A statement received from Monroe Clinic is that, “Monroe Clinic takes its role in the Green County Emergency Management team seriously. The time and resources we dedicate to preparing with our community partners is a reflection of the Monroe Clinic’s mission to serve the community. Minimizing the impact of any potential emergency starts with practice and preparation. We welcome the chance to continuously improve our response performance through practice exercises like this one.”

Our first responders are very well-trained to respond to daily, small incidents. Large incidents may not happen often, but when they do we need to ensure that everyone knows their roles and how to correctly handle larger, more complex situations. Full-scale exercises are very valuable to expose us to these situations and identify further training or resources that may be needed. As Monticello Fire Chief Kevin Komprood commented, “training today while planning for tomorrow for a large-scale incident, helps us know we will be better prepared in the event of an emergency in our area.”

We are very appreciative of Monticello Fire Department/First Response and Monticello Public School for undertaking this series of training exercises. Their commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of their community should be commended.