By Nate West
News Editor
St. Bonaventure University, along with several outside participants and agencies, conducted an emergency-preparedness drill around 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 6.
The drill simulated a chemical spill from a train car on the tracks near the campus’ west side.
“There were several objectives that we wanted to accomplish with the exercise,” Vito Czyz, director of Safety and Security, said. “The primary ones were to evaluate the SBU Emergency preparedness program and to test and validate our ability to support outside responders, organizations and entities. In addition, we wanted to test our ability to respond to a chemical scenario and mass casualty situation.”
Czyz, the drill’s coordinator, said the drill went very well, with mostly positive feedback. As with any large-scale event, a few small issues did come up, however, which challenged everyone at the scene, the Incident Command Post and in the Emergency Operations Center.
“This was a large undertaking that took months of coordination with many entities. Communications between agencies was a challenge,” he said. “In the end, it came together and we were able to successfully evacuate 24 simulated casualties to (Olean General Hospital) safely.”
Large-scale drills like this happen every four years, Czyz said. The last one was a campus lockdown drill simulating a shooter on campus. However, smaller drills are done every year to test specific aspects of the emergency plan.
Some students in Shay and Loughlen Halls were woken up by firefighters coming into their rooms. One of the students, freshman political science major Doug Smith, said although he was woken up, he didn’t mind.
“I was woken up by a fireman who had opened my door. I am not sure if it was locked or not but he took a few paces into my room at around 9 a.m.,” Smith said. “I am completely okay with someone entering my room during a drill as long as it is at a reasonable hour where it does not interfere with my private life. Interrupted sleep is perfectly fine by me. To further that, in an actual emergency situation I am comfortable with any precaution that may save my life or someone else’s.”
There were many agencies and groups involved with the drill. Among those were SBU Safety & Security, Emergency Management Team, Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT), Residence Life Staff, the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Department, the New York State Police, Allegany Police and Fire Departments, the Allegany Ambulance Squad, Chautauqua and Allegany Counties HAZMAT team, the Western NY and Pennsylvania Railroad, Cattaraugus County Emergency Services, Allegany – Limestone Central School System, the American Red Cross and the Transportation Security Agency.
Students also participated in the drill primarily playing causalities, according to Czyz. Student participants were made up to look wounded, which helped make the drill more realistic for first responders and medical staff. Czyz said the drill could not have been accomplished without them.
“They did a great job in playing their roles. In particular, hospital staff commended them for being such great actors,” Czyz said. “I think that there is a future for some of them on the big screen.”
Czyz said that every agency that came to the drill and participated should be commended.
“We are fortunate here at Bonaventure to be surrounded by such a professional group of people that will help us out in emergency situations if and when we need them,” he said.
