October 3, 2012

Purdue fire personnel take part in earthquake training

Ply training From left, Jim Lewis of the Wabash Township Volunteer Fire Department, firefighter and paramedic Jason Fisher of the Purdue University Fire Department and Monticello Fire Department Lt. Shane Swaim discuss strategy during the training. (Photo courtesy of John M. Buckman III, Wildfire Studios) Download image

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue University Fire Department members took in a simulated earthquake exercise at the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center near Butlerville, Indiana.

The exercise occurred during National Emergency Preparedness Month. Purdue also is encouraging its community to take part in an earthquake simulation drill and to discuss safety should an earthquake occur.

The Indiana Department of Homeland Security tested all of capacities of the nearly 300 participants from nine Indiana counties, including 50 from the District 4 Response Task Force, to which Purdue belongs. The exercise was to ensure that they are fully deployable at the director of Homeland Security's request.

"An earthquake is not something we see a lot in north central Indiana, but we have to be prepared," Purdue fire chief Kevin Ply said. "These training exercises are extremely valuable for us and allows us to keep up to date on the newest equipment and practices."

The District 4 group worked with several other district teams from around the state, according to a release from the state homeland security department. A full task force from District 4 was deployed, including an incident management team, an emergency medical services element, a fire suppression element, a services and support element and law enforcement element. Working together, the team managed the incident for multiple days, determined areas for technical search and rescue, performed law enforcement tasks, extinguished multiple fires, transported patients from scenes to field hospitals and team support with no outside resources, according to the release.

Purdue’s Office of Emergency Preparedness also is encouraging the campus community to participate in an Oct. 20 campus drill simulating a major earthquake. The exercise is designed to educate faculty, staff and students on what to do in the event the area ever experiences an earthquake…an Exercise Plan is located here. Additionally, information from the Purdue Emergency Procedures Guide on how to respond to an earthquake is available at https://www.purdue.edu/ehps/emergency_preparedness/flipchart/earthquake.html

Contact: Kevin Ply, 765-494-6919, kmply@purdue.edu

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