Southern Health-Santé Sud extends a heartfelt thank you to staff, emergency response partners, volunteers and local businesses who helped make a mock disaster exercise at the Centre de santé De Salaberry District Health Centre in St. Pierre-Jolys a success this past October.
The full-scale exercise simulated a mass casualty incident involving multiple injured patients, providing health care teams with an opportunity to practice emergency response procedures, strengthen communication and coordination and enhance preparedness for a real-life emergency.
The exercise was made possible through the collaboration of numerous partners, including STARS Air Ambulance, provincial Emergency Response Services (ERS), RCMP, St. Pierre and St. Malo fire departments, the Virtual Emergency Care and Transfer Resource Service (VECTRS), and Manitoba Emergency Management Organization (EMO).
Officials offered a special thank you to students from École Communautaire Réal-Bérard, who volunteered to act as injured patients, helping create a realistic training experience. Community support was also instrumental in making the day a success.
Health officials noted that exercises like this provide invaluable opportunities to test emergency plans, build confidence and strengthen partnerships among the organizations that work together during emergencies.
