RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. (November 19, 2007)--On Wednesday, Nov. 14, a group from the Arkansas Tech University Emergency Administration and Management Department and local first responders practiced the steps necessary to respond to a disaster.
It appeared to be a typical classroom experience inside the Tech Emergency Operations Center (EOC) at Dean Hall, but there was one important difference. Instead of analyzing emergency response for Russellville or another local town, the people inside the Tech EOC had their eyes on simulated events 270 miles away in Stillwater, Okla.
That is the home of Oklahoma State University, and the faculty and students there in the OSU School of Fire Protection were engaged in an emergency response drill similar to the one that Arkansas Tech conducted in April 2007.
In the drill at Oklahoma State, faculty and students were practicing their response to a hazardous material spill.
Using technology afforded by Doppler radar, aerial maps and other tools, representatives inside the Tech EOC were able to advise Oklahoma State on evacuation routes, road blocks and other important information that can keep the public safe in the event of an emergency.
“For us, this drill was a test of how effectively we can support hazardous materials episodes throughout the region,” said Ed Leachman, interim head of the Arkansas Tech EAM Department. “We learned that, given proper communication capabilities, we can help coordinate response for areas that lack the technology necessary to respond to a disaster of this nature.”
Capt. John Flynt of the Russellville Fire Department provided professional and technical support to the Tech EOC during the exercise.
For more information about the Arkansas Tech EAM Department, visit http://commed.atu.edu/EAM.
