Good Shepherd Health Care System (GSHCS) will host and participate in a full-scale disaster preparedness drill on Tuesday, Sept. 17.
The comprehensive emergency response exercise will provide training to GSHCS staff in their roles and responsibilities during disasters, and how to execute coordinated response efforts with outside agencies and community partners. The drill, which takes place from noon to 3:30 p.m., will originate at Eastern Oregon Trade & Event Center (EOTEC) simulating a ChemPack deployment, with participation from local EMS, Hazmat teams, and law enforcement agencies.
Local agencies and organizations participating in the drill:
- Hermiston Airport
- Eastern Oregon Trade & Event Center (EOTEC)
- Good Shepherd Health Care System (GSHCS)
- Life Flight Network
- National Weather Service
- Oregon HAZMAT 10
- Oregon Health Authority
- Oregon State Police
- Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT)
- Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office
- Umatilla County Emergency Management
- Umatilla County Health Department
- Umatilla County Fire District #1
- Umatilla Rural Fire District
What is a ChemPack?
A ChemPack is a pre-packaged unit of emergency medications and antidotes specifically designed to treat victims exposed to chemical agents. These packs are an essential part of our emergency preparedness and response strategy for chemical emergencies. They contain a variety of medications to counteract the effects of different types of chemical agents, ensuring that medical teams have the necessary resources to provide immediate and effective treatment in the event of a chemical incident.
Objective of the Exercise
The exercise tests and evaluates the community’s response capabilities for handling hazardous material incidents. It will provide valuable insights into the coordination between various emergency response teams, including EMS, Hazmat, law enforcement, and hospital staff.
Public Awareness and Safety
This exercise is a controlled simulation. No actual chemicals or hazardous materials will be deployed during this event. The presence of emergency response vehicles and personnel at the Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center is part of the planned drill.
“This is about taking care of our community,” stated GSHCS President & CEO Art Mathisen. “We want to give our Good Shepherd team and local agencies the experience needed to be as prepared as possible for real-world occurrences.”
Access to medical care at Good Shepherd Health Care System will not be affected by the drill.
“Good Shepherd will remain fully operational while the drill is underway. Patients may hear and see our emergency response system and local agency officials on our campus during that timeframe, but rest assured it is only a scheduled drill,” said Mathisen.
Any questions may be directed to Good Shepherd Public Relations or Umatilla County Emergency Manager Sage Delong at sage.delong@umatillacounty.gov. For more information about GSHCS, visit www.gshealth.org. For more information about Umatilla County Emergency Management, go online.
