Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Prescott Firemen Participate In Mock Disaster Drill Saturday

A mock disaster drill was held by the City of Prescott Saturday, Sept. 25.

The drill was mandated by the Office of Emergency Services and had to be held before Oct. 1, according to Ben Gummerson, Prescott Fire Chief.

Ham radio operators provided emergency communications, while local contractors provided time and equipment for the drill.

The Church of Christ became an emergency hospital for the event, while Central Baptist Church handled those whose injuries were less critical. First Presbyterian and the First United Methodist churches provided shelter for those in need.

Some 165 volunteers participated in one form or another, Gummerson said. The original format had been expanded to accommodate the county's emergency services, but the county canceled when its OES coordinator, Jim Cross, underwent quadruple bypass surgery.

"In the event of an actual emergency," he said, "we estimate it would take two or three hours for emergency crews from other counties to organize and get to us."

He said it would take 10 or more hours for major agencies, such as the Red Cross, to marshal their forces and arrive.

"In those first hours," he continued, "all we can count on is each other, and that's what this drill is all about  to help us know what we should and shouldn't do in case of an actual emergency."

For the most part, he said, people would be safer remaining in their homes should an emergency occur. This is because there could be downed power lines, broken gas lines, traffic problems and communication difficulties.

He suggested people keep battery operated radios handy and tuned into local stations to keep abreast of what's going on and where shelters have been established.