Published: August 27, 2008 11:05 pm            

LETTERS: Operation: school readiness

Operation: school readiness

What an exercise it was! I participated in the Operation School Readiness Full-scale Exercise on Aug. 5 at Pratt Elementary School n Barker. This type of large-scale exercise between 25 responding agencies and organizations was unprecedented in Niagara County.

All responders and simulated victims were thrust into a Columbine-type mass assault by an armed assailant at a public school. Although this was all carefully planned out on paper, this exercise went from boring to the sheer realization of a nightmare.

There were no visual opportunities for many victims yet the horrible assaults of sounds forced you to form your own mental pictures for over an hour. This translated into those simulated dead, injured and down and t hose hiding in a surreal terror. The gunman even ducked into a classroom of frightened victims to reload before resuming his assault.

All 25 agencies responded in layers to test their collective abilities and there are too many fire departments, police agencies, ambulance services, hospitals and volunteer teams to list. This was truly a “real world” local emergency situation that I had the privilege to participate in.

All responding agencies did well under the circumstances and each scrutinized their performances to discuss communication shortcomings.

I was triaged, placed into a rural ambulance, prepped by a technician and taken to a “real-life hot wash decontamination unit” at Lockport Memorial Hospital. Wow.

My personal gratitude goes out to the Ti-Town Ambulance Service. Not only did they prep me properly before transport, but best of all, they talked to me. The Rural Ambulance units are staffed by all-volunteer teams, and they do what they do because of their personal need to save lives. Their only hope is that someone would do this for them in a time of crisis. After a serious trauma, they will look and feel like Angels of Mercy to you, too.

Michael B. Majors

Niagara Falls



Where’s the backlash?

Regarding the article written by Amy Witryol on Aug. 1 regarding hazardous waste being shipped from the east coast seaboard to Western New York, she was so right on.

By rights, we should have the New York State Police meeting these trucks at the border issuing tickets for dumping illegal toxic waste. Let’s wake up Western New York. It’s time to stop the destruction of our state. I was born and raised here. I moved away 26 years ago and recently returned to be amazed at how corrupt our New York government really is.

Why are we, as Western New Yorkers, allowing this to happen to our state? Not only in our state but right in Niagara county? This can’t be the only place in the country to accommodate toxic waste. How about some area in the desert? Some place where no one lives for miles instead of right in our own backyard. Who’s getting he money for this great choice? Don’t we already have enough toxic waste around here? I guess some people must think “well, it’s already toxic, let’s dump some more.” Did we all forget about Love Canal or Bloody Run? God only knows how many other areas are loaded with deadly toxic chemicals. Do we care that little for our children and grandchildren? Come on people of Niagara Falls and surrounding areas, let’s get it together.

Michael T. Higgins

Niagara Falls

        

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