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Preparing for the worst
Jun 12, 2009
By Charlotte A. Graham, countyreporter@laurelleadercall.com
June 07, 2009 12:59 pm
— Representatives from nearly a dozen Jones County Volunteer Fire Departments were on hand Saturday to participate in a Passenger Bus Rescue and Incident Management class sponsored by the Jones County Junior College Workforce Development Program.
The Mississippi Fire Academy class was hosted by the Jones County Fire Service and taught by Mississippi Fire Academy Instructor Allan Dover, who is also the training officer and assistant county fire coordinator for Lauderdale County.
“The class is designed specifically for emergency responders who encounter accidents involving passenger buses with multiple victims,” explained Dan McKenna, Jones County Fire Coordinator. “We have a lot of bus traffic in Jones County, not only from school buses, but from the many tour buses that travel through our county via Highway 59.
“It’s important that we focus on rescue and extrication in case there are accidents in our area,” he added. “In addition to bringing in the Fire Academy to provide the training, we brought in the Red Cross to assist us in providing an incident for the volunteer firefighters to manage.”
Classroom instruction was held at the Whitehead Technology Center from 8 a.m. to noon. Dover explained the proper procedures to use when extricating, stabilizing and managing bus tragedies. He also explained the basic construction features of buses, fires involving passenger buses, stabilizing passenger buses, basic and advanced rescue techniques and incident management.
Following the class and lunch, firefighters reassembled at Springer Car Crushing, 1500 Highway 84, East to apply the skills taught by Dover. The Pine Belt Chapter of the American Red Cross provided “victims” to be on the bus. Springer Car Crushing also participated at the “incident scene” by supplying an old bus to be used in the exercises.
“It’s been an interesting day,” said Cindy Shoemaker of the Sharon Fire Department. “Hot, but interesting.”
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