The drills and training exercises were held in a vacant building adjacent to the hospital at 71 E. Post Road.
They involved several members of the White Plains Fire Department assisting in the search and rescue response to simulated explosions where mannequins staged as victims were taken urgently to the hospital’s emergency department to be triaged by the emergency department and surgical services staff.
Ed Tangredi, who oversees emergency management for White Plains Hospital, commented that the drills serve a critical purpose in preparing not only the hospital staff, but the fire department and other local emergency personnel for the possibility of a life-threatening scenario where multiple victims would require medical attention.
“By holding these drills, we are able to continually evaluate and improve our emergency response systems and know we are prepared,”said Tangredi.
“This series of exercises was a remarkable collaboration with the city’s departments of public safety, fire and police, as well as local EMS, to ensure we have the right communication and response protocols in place in the event of a disaster.”
White Plains Fire Chief Richard Lyman, Deputy Chief John Nichols, Police Capt. David Burpee, Commissioner of Public Safety David Chong and Mayor Thomas Roach were all at the site of the drills.
The hospital is preparing to demolish the building at 71 E. Post Road later this spring in preparation for construction of a new building that will be devoted to the expansion of the cancer program.