TORNADO DEVASTATES ART FESTIVAL
Amy Ross  Boca Raton Fire Department, Florida

On Saturday, November 16th a tornado touched down at 10:10 am on the first day of “Stroll the Meadow Art Festival.”  Boca Raton C.E.R.T. team volunteers were the first on the scene dispatched by Deputy Chief Jack McCartt through HAM radio communications.

This set the stage for Boca Raton CERT program’s first disaster drill.  The drill, sponsored by Boca Raton Fire Rescue and Boca Raton Community Hospital, was designed to challenge the skills of the Community Emergency Response Team members and to test the Disaster Plan of the hospital.

After a review of the Incident Command System by Chief McCart, teams were sent to the scene to perform recon, search and rescue, triage, treatment and transport to the Emergency Room.  Over 100 victims were triaged and sent to the treatment area within one hour.  The first patients began arriving at the hospital within 20 minutes.

Present at the event were 100 Boca Raton CERT members as well as teams from Tamarac, Lakeridge Falls, Ponte Vecchio, Lakeridge Greens, Palm Beach Gardens and Deerfield Beach. CERT members participated in a variety of ways: Search & Rescue Teams, victims, HAM radio communications, registration and moulage.  This drill exceeded all expectations and was accomplished through teamwork.

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