Firefighters hone skills during mass casualty response training

NOXON — Fire departments and ambulance services from across western Sanders County gathered in Noxon recently for a large-scale mass casualty response training exercise, the culmination of months of planning by local and county emergency officials.

The training was coordinated by Noxon Fire Chief Jim Byler, Sanders County Emergency Management Coordinator Matthew Griffin, and Noxon Rural Volunteer Fire Department Training Officer Dan Bledsoe. The scenario involved a multi-vehicle accident featuring a school bus carrying children and two passenger vehicles.

Byler said the goal of the training was to prepare responders for a worst-case scenario.

“We always train for what could happen, and as a school bus director, that could definitely happen,” Byler said. “By luck, with me doing this, come January the Plains hospital is going to do a mass casualty exercise on the other end of this. This is actually pretty good. This is the first part of a two-part training.”

The Noxon exercise focused on rescuing children and adults trapped in a school bus and passenger vehicles, while simultaneously managing serious injuries and fatalities. A second phase of the training is expected to take place in January at Clark Fork Valley Hospital in Plains.

“In January, they’re doing the patient end of it,” Byler said.

Byler estimated that 10 to 15 children, ranging in age from 6 to 17, participated as victims in the exercise. Approximately 50 emergency responders and volunteers took part in the training.

The evening began with a dinner for participants, followed by an operational briefing in which Bledsoe assigned roles and responsibilities. Firefighters from Heron, Trout Creek, Noxon, Troy, and Bull Lake participated in the exercise.

Now in his fifth year as Noxon Fire chief, Byler said training remains a year-round priority for the department.

“We train every year for fires, car crashes, and structure fires. It’s non-stop,” Byler said. “We’ve been thinking about this one for two to three years.”

The Noxon Rural Volunteer Fire Department currently has 21 volunteers, but Byler said additional members are always welcome.

“We want more. We can always use more,” he said.

The event marked the first time the department had conducted a mass casualty training exercise of this scale.

Firefighters also had an opportunity to put newly acquired vehicle extrication equipment to use. The rescue tools, purchased earlier this summer valued at approximately $100,000, were used to pry open damaged vehicle doors and gain access to trapped victims.

To add realism to the scenario, volunteer actors portrayed injured passengers and distressed family members searching for loved ones. One of those volunteers, Echo Zeretzke, convincingly played the role of a hysterical mother searching for her child, testing the patience and composure of emergency personnel as they worked through the simulated disaster.

Upon completion of the evenings training, Sanders County Emergency Management Coordinator Griffin said, “I was particularly encouraged by the dedication shown by the firefighters, EMS personnel, volunteers, and organizers who gave their time and effort to make the exercise a success.” Griffin continued, “Their commitment to preparedness reflects a deep sense of service to our community. I commend the Noxon Rural Fire District and all participants for their professionalism and hard work. Our community is fortunate to have such dedicated individuals training diligently to protect and serve their neighbors.

Jenny Byler works to extract a victim during the mass casualty training event in Noxon. (Tracy Scott/Valley Press)
Tracy Scott

Noxon Assistant Fire Chief Sam Overman during the mass casualty training event in Noxon. (Tracy Scott/Valley Press)
Tracy Scott

Volunteer firefighter Kyle Wengerd uses the school bus roof hatch to rescue crash victims during a mass casualty training event in Noxon. (Tracy Scott/Valley Press)
Tracy Scott

The Noxon mass casualty training included Echo Zeretzke playing a hysterical parent. (Tracy Scott/Valley Press)
Tracy Scott