Capital City Fire/Rescue firefighter/EMTs Conner Hoyt, left, and Mattheus Tempel transport victim Keren Goldbergbell during a mass casualty drill at Bartlett Regional Hospital on Thursday, May 3, 2018. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Capital City Fire/Rescue firefighter/EMTs Conner Hoyt, left, and Mattheus Tempel transport victim Keren Goldbergbell during a mass casualty drill at Bartlett Regional Hospital on Thursday, May 3, 2018. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Preparing for a real-life disaster

Bartlett Regional Hospital staff were hustling Thursday morning.

In less than two hours, a bus crash with 25 casualties needed immediate attention, an emergency room fire forced 10 patients to evacuate and a flood from the fire spread through the ER.

Well, none of this actually happened, but this type of scenario is something the BRH staff played out as part of training through Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Incident Command System model.

“It really helps (the hospital) because in times of disaster it’s actual true chaos and we don’t have the luxury of backing up and redoing things,” Kim McDowell, ER Director at BRH, said. “So practicing these kind of drills gives us the advantage to be able to know what we are doing and gives us the muscle memory to act quickly in a true emergency or true disaster.

One of the “victims,” Keren Goldbergbell, had blunt trauma to her abdomen from the crash. Goldbergbell said she has done wilderness first responder training and was interested in volunteering for this drill to see how the hospital reacts in this type of situation.

“It is really important to learn about accidents and how to prevent them and how to prepare for them,” Goldbergbell, of Juneau, said. “I wanted to see how a hospital actually works because I have never gone to the hospital for anything like this and I have never taken an ambulance.”

Susan Webb, a nurse in Juneau, played the role of an 88-year-old man with a laceration on his head who had lost consciousness. Webb said she wanted to take part in the drill because of her medical background.

“I wanted to see how things are handled and see the flow of the hospital,” Webb said.

Throughout the morning, volunteer “victims” would be transported by ambulance to the ER. There they were “treated” for their injuries before being released. At the end, staff would make sure every patient was correctly accounted for their injuries and received the right treatment.

But not everybody played that type of role. Carolyn Kelley, of Juneau, was given the task of being a member of the media. She quickly found out getting everything needed for an article can be a tough task.

“You kind of get locked out of a few things and you don’t get all the information that you want,” Kelley said about trying to get information from patients in the ER. “There is also lots of waiting around.”

Charlee Gibbon, who is part of the emergency management team at BRH, said the hospital needs to runs drills like Thursday’s because major disasters change how staff react.

“We want to be ready,” Gibbon said. “In this kind of situation, we have a different kind of procedure. We have a different set of triage to track people, to assess them and put them in the right place. It’s a major impact on the work flow of the hospital and when we go to alternate procedures, we have to practice them.”

At the end of the drill, staff discusses what happened and what they could do differently in a real-life situations.

“We end the session with something called a “Hot Wash,” Katie Bausler, Community Relations Director at BRH, said. “We debrief and discuss what went right and what went wrong. Things will inevitably get mixed up. That is the idea so we can preempt, if at all possible, confusion in a real situation.”


• Contact reporter Gregory Philson at gphilson@juneauempire.com or call at 523-2265. Follow him on Twitter at @GTPhilson.


Melissa Vogt, center, registers victim Carolyn Garcia, right during a mass casualty drill at Bartlett Regional Hospital on Thursday, May 3, 2018. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Melissa Vogt, center, registers victim Carolyn Garcia, right during a mass casualty drill at Bartlett Regional Hospital on Thursday, May 3, 2018. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

More in News

(Juneau Empire file photo)
Aurora forecast through the week of Dec. 22

These forecasts are courtesy of the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Geophysical Institute… Continue reading

State Rep. Sara Hannan talks with visitors outside her office at the Alaska State Capitol during the annual holiday open house hosted by Juneau’s legislative delegation on Friday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
A moving holiday season for Juneau’s legislators

Delegation hosts annual open house as at least two prepare to occupy better offices as majority members.

The U.S. Capitol in Washington, Dec. 18, 2024. The Senate passed bipartisan legislation early Saturday that would give full Social Security benefits to a group of public sector retirees who currently receive them at a reduced level, sending the bill to President JOE Biden. (Kenny Holston/The New York Times)
Congress OKs full Social Security benefits for public sector retirees, including 15,000 in Alaska

Biden expected to sign bill that eliminates government pension offset from benefits.

Pauline Plumb and Penny Saddler carry vegetables grown by fellow gardeners during the 29th Annual Juneau Community Garden Harvest Fair on Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
Dunleavy says he plans to reestablish state Department of Agriculture via executive order

Demoted to division status after statehood, governor says revival will improve food production policies.

Alan Steffert, a project engineer for the City and Borough of Juneau, explains alternatives considered when assessing infrastructure improvements including utilities upgrades during a meeting to discuss a proposed fee increase Thursday night at Thunder Mountain Middle School. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Hike of more than 60% in water rates, 80% in sewer over next five years proposed by CBJ utilities

Increase needed due to rates not keeping up with inflation, officials say; Assembly will need to OK plan.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy and President-elect Donald Trump (left) will be working as chief executives at opposite ends of the U.S. next year, a face constructed of rocks on Sandy Beach is seen among snow in November (center), and KINY’s prize patrol van (right) flashes its colors outside the station this summer. (Photos, from left to right, from Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s office, Elliot Welch via Juneau Parks and Recreation, and Mark Sabbatini via the Juneau Empire)
Juneau’s 10 strangest news stories of 2024

Governor’s captivating journey to nowhere, woman who won’t leave the beach among those making waves.

Police calls for Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

The U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. Funding for the federal government will lapse at 8:01 p.m. Alaska time on Friday if no deal is reached. (Kenny Holston/The New York Times)
A federal government shutdown may begin tonight. Here’s what may happen.

TSA will still screen holiday travelers, military will work without paychecks; food stamps may lapse.

The cover image from Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s “Alaska Priorities For Federal Transition” report. (Office of the Governor)
Loch Ness ducks or ‘vampire grebes’? Alaska governor report for Trump comes with AI hallucinations

A ChatGPT-generated image of Alaska included some strange-looking waterfowl.

Most Read