TERRE HAUTE — Wabash Valley emergency responders took part last week in a disaster preparation exercise designed — among other things — to train hospital workers to handle a large influx of injured patients.
On Tuesday morning, two area hospitals put that training to the test after a school bus accident in northern Vigo County left nearly 30 people injured.
“We train for this,” said Lorrie Heber, a spokeswoman for Union Hospital Health Group. In such emergencies, hospitals are not just dealing with a large number of injured people, but also with concerned parents and others, she said.
Shortly after 9 a.m. Tuesday, a school bus from Parke County carrying more than 40 people, mostly fourth-graders from Turkey Run Elementary School, left the roadway and traveled through a ditch. The bus, which was taking the children on a field trip to the symphony in Terre Haute, nearly overturned before coming to rest back on the highway, witnesses said. Children and adults were tossed around inside the bus, but none was seriously injured.
In response to the accident, nearby Union Hospital and West Central Community Hospital in Clinton each initiated their “disaster plans,” said Rod Bosley, system director of safety and risk management for Union Hospital Health Group, which owns both health-care facilities.
Security staff were posted at the entrances of the hospitals as the injured began to arrive. The media were given updates via e-mail but were not allowed access to the injured or their families.
“The staff [of both hospitals] handled it very well,” Bosley said. No additional staff had to be called in, he said.
More than 20 children on the bus were uninjured but still were taken to West Central Community Hospital until parents or guardians could pick them up, Heber noted. Those children were given cookies and milk in the hospital’s cafeteria. Around 12:30 p.m. the “all clear” was issued and the disaster plan was called off.
Although Union Hospital and West Central Community Hospital are owned by the same health group, all area hospitals work together to prepare for incidents like this, Bosley said. Last week’s disaster preparation exercise, which focused on earthquake response, included all hospitals in the Indiana Department of Homeland Security’s District 7.
“We have a pretty good working relationship with all of the hospitals in this part of the state,” Bosley said.
Dealing with a large influx of patients and concerned family members is “always kind of stressful” for hospital staff, Bosley said. But on Tuesday he thought everyone handled the situation well. “I was very pleased with the response” at both hospitals, he said.
Arthur Foulkes can be reached at (812) 231-4232 or arthur.foulkes@tribstar.com
Local & Bistate
Related Photos
-
JOSEPH C. GARZA
-
JOSEPH C. GARZA
Related Links
Discussion
Hospitals put disaster training to work for bus crash
- Local & Bistate
-
-
Patriotism & Honor
From his vantage point, Sonner Faught could see almost every volunteer in the cemetery.
-
Graduation turns to mourning in Clinton
Jeana Lunsford’s graduation from South Vermillion High School Saturday should have been a time of celebration.
-
School choice proponents foresee growth of vouchers
Twenty-seven Vigo County students benefited from tax-supported vouchers during the first year of the Choice Scholarship Program, and that number is expected to grow for 2012-13, say Indiana school choice leaders who visited Terre Haute Thursday.
-
Tales of obstruction meet first takeover attempts
A decade after Indiana legislators gave the state the power to take over chronically failing schools, the first implementation of the law is meeting with resistance, skepticism and questions about its costs.
-
THE OFF SEASON: Raising a flag for my father, veteran or not
My daughter, Ellen, and I stood at my parents’ graves on Mother’s Day a few weeks back and talked about how it couldn’t possibly have been so long since we lost them. My dad, for instance, has been gone for 16 years, and that is nearly unimaginable
-
3 rescued from burning residence
Quick action on the part of some first-responders is credited with saving the lives of three people in a Vermillion County fire early Saturday morning, according to the Vermillion County Sheriff’s Department.
-
He never forgot a name: Friends remember victim of fire at Garfield Towers
When Freddie Poore met you, he never forgot you.
-
Hometown boy embraces ‘Promise I Made’: Clinton native Ken Kercheval takes role in Dreams Come True production
Thanks to some help from a hometown boy in Hollywood, “This Promise I Made” is still on track to be kept in Clinton.
-
STATE OF THE STATEHOUSE: Many say they don’t vote in primary because of tag that comes with it
A couple of columns ago, I posed a question about why most Indiana polling places on primary election day had so few customers.
-
Police looking for convenience store robber
Police are seeking a robbery suspect following a Saturday morning armed robbery at the Jiffy MiniMart at 25th Street and Eighth Avenue.
-
Graduation ‘responsibility’: Rose-Hulman stages 134th commencement exercises
Inventor Dean Kamen gave a first-hand demonstration Saturday of how to be an innovator.
-
THE OFF SEASON: To the seniors, one last lecture before you go …
It dawned on me one day last week, as I sat at my desk in my teacher clothes and shoes, a stack of ungraded essays calling to me from a rather tall and depressing pile, that I hadn’t missed a high school graduation in 33 years.
-
Water rescuers
Emergency personnel wheel a man who was removed from a vehicle that had been driven into the water at Crystal Lake on Boston Avenue near 14th Street at about 9 p.m. Friday.
-
For many, camping outdoors is the way to beat the heat, enjoy nature
Stringing up fishing poles in the shade of American flags, households full of Hoosiers are packing into parks across the state this weekend.
-
Towns along National Road readying for next week’s miles-long yard sale
Stretching 824 miles from Baltimore to St. Louis, the National Road — known as U.S. 40 through Indiana — will soon be the host site for perhaps the longest bargain market in the country.
-
Rose grads honoring late president Branam at commencement today
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology’s Class of 2012 will honor the memory of Matt Branam during today’s commencement ceremony by wearing special pins with the phrase “Make It Happen; Make It Fun,” a favorite saying of the former Rose-Hulman president, who died unexpectedly on April 20.
-
Vigo County Jail Log: May 26, 2012
The following individuals were booked into the Vigo County Jail by area law enforcement on Thursday and Friday, based on jail records. Charges are recommended by arresting officers but are not final until the Vigo County prosecutor reviews the case and files official charges.
-
A fallen soldier returns home
An Army carry team moves a transfer case containing the remains of Spc. Arronn D. Fields early Thursday morning at Dover Air Force Base, Del.
-
Official touts trade with northern neighbor
A top Canadian diplomat told a Terre Haute audience Thursday his country was “disappointed” when President Obama at least temporarily rejected a proposed transcontinental oil pipeline from Alberta to Texas.
-
Caution urged for summer’s kickoff
Lane restrictions in construction zones on Interstate 70 and other highways around the state will be lifted to accommodate holiday travel for the Memorial Day Weekend.
-
Letters delivered
Several positions will be eliminated this summer at the Terre Haute mail processing facility as the U.S. Postal Service begins moving the operation to Indianapolis, a U.S. Postal Service spokesman has confirmed.
-
Companies seek Vigo tax abatements
Two Vigo County companies are seeking tax abatements for expansion projects, one of which is included as part of a county incentive package.
-
High-speed chase suspect caught in West Virginia
The suspect in a cross-country, high-speed chase originating in Terre Haute last week was reportedly in federal custody Thursday evening.
-
Second victim of deadly I-70 semi-trailer crash identified
The Vigo County Coroner’s Office has identified the passenger of a semi-tractor crash on May 16 in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 70 near the 12-mile marker.
- VIGO COUNTY JAIL LOG: May 22-24, 2012
-
Burn ban in effect for Vigo County through holiday weekend
Vigo County officials have issued a burn ban effective Thursday and remains in effect until 8 a.m. Tuesday.
-
Brazil remembers a Fallen Son
A small town seemed sadly quiet Wednesday, waiting to honor a local fallen warrior.
-
ISU OKs four-year degree guarantee
Indiana State University has announced a four-year “graduation guarantee” for students enrolling this fall and beyond.
-
Dems tout good side of compromise
Indiana Senate Minority Leader Vi Simpson, chosen to run as the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor with gubernatorial candidate John Gregg, said during a stop Wednesday in Terre Haute that bipartisan experience is a key factor in creating jobs and legislation to help Hoosiers statewide.
-
Motorcyclist dies, motorist charged after accident
A Terre Haute man has died of injuries he sustained in a two-motorcycle, one-car crash that also injured another motorcyclist late Tuesday. The incident has led to the arrest of the car’s driver.
- More Local & Bistate Headlines
-
Obama Honors Fallen Troops at Arlington Cemetery
Raw Video: Cop Shoots Man Eating Another's Face
Beryl Makes Landfall on Florida Coast
Raw Video: National Mall Concert Shut Down
Service Dogs Help Wash. Soldiers Battling PTSD
Beryl Threatens Rain, Winds on Southeast Coast
Tropical Storm Beryl Strengthens, Nears US Coast
Biden Addresses West Point Graduating Class
UN Blames Syrian Forces for Shelling Houla
Beryl Knocks Out Power in Florida
Romney Promises World's Strongest Military
Raw Video: Obama Lays Wreath on Memorial Day
Shell Readies Arctic Drill Ship
Raw Video: Gay Protest Blocked in Moscow
Raw Video: Heckler Bursts in on Blair Testimony
Japan Farmers Plant, Seek Radiation-free Rice
Obama Pays Tribute to Vietnam Veterans
Raw Video: Memorial Day Aboard Intrepid
Vatican in Chaos After Butler Arrested for Leaks
Today in History
Keira Reveals Engagement Ring
Man in Crane at Texas College Says He's Armed
Justin Bieber Accused of Assaulting Photographer - Glen Walker reports
Raw Video: Deadly Explosion at Minn. Paper Mill
J.Lo and Marc's Friendly Reunion
Woman, 80, Falls Out of Skydive Harness Mid-Jump
Dog runs alonside cyclists for 1,100 miles
Lady Gaga Cancels Indonesian Show After Threats
Long Story Short: Beyonce back on stage
Raw Video: Man Rescued From River in China
Celtics crush Sixers in Game 7
Alleged Lego Thief Faces Felony Charges
Has Snooki Named Her Baby?
Heat Wave Warms Holiday Weekend
Beyonce Entertains the First Family
Inspiration for the class of 2012
Colorado College Student Shot While Trespassing
