Rialto officials test emergency communication for ‘The Big One’
RIALTO >> Buildings and bridges collapsed, a train derailed and hazardous chemicals spilled in the wake of a 7.5-magnitude earthquake.
None of these things actually happened.
But about 50 employees from Rialto and other cities in Rialto’s Emergency Operations Center acted as if they did.
It was part of the city’s California Specialized Training Institute workshop, which began earlier this week and culminated Thursday in a realistic communications drill.
“If we have any deficiencies in the city, this gives us the opportunity to address those before a real incident happens,” said Rialto firefighter/paramedic Matt Payne.
San Luisa Del Mar, a fictitious city of 100,000 people, was the focus of the training.
“Rialto will be significantly better prepared, and not necessarily because they worked for San Luisa, but because they worked together,” said Joe Costello, instructor and coordinator for the institute.
The drill didn’t include people posing as dead or wounded victims. And it didn’t have paramedics rushing them off to hospitals.
Instead, it focused on communication among local, county and state emergency officials.
Workers from various city departments relayed disaster information as it was reported, then organized and prioritized how to respond to incidents. It’s a system involving phone banks, city mapping and charting incidents. “I think it kind of helps organize the chaos,” said Chino Valley Independent Fire District Capt. Tom Lemoine.
The drill even involved West Covina police spokesman Rudy Lopez, playing the role of a television news reporter.
“It’s interesting because I’m able to use my personal encounters with the media to act out this role,” he said.
The drill was funded through a $24,000 federal Emergency Management Performance Grant, said Rialto fire Battalion Chief Frank Bekker.
San Bernardino County regularly distributes such funds to cities for use in training, hiring employees and purchasing equipment.
Rialto Fire Chief Mat Fratus said by the time “The Big One” hits the Inland Empire, Rialto will have key players identified and assigned to particular tasks for when the emergency operation center is opened for real.
“We’ll have people put together to take care of the citizens of Rialto,” Fratus said.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Melissa Pinion-Whitt covers breaking news and public safety for The Sun. Reach the author atMelissa.Pinion-Whitt@inlandnewspapers.com or follow Melissa on Twitter: @IEcrime.
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