FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Chardon passes FEMA / Perry Nuke Plant disaster drill with flying colors
(Above left) Chardon FF Chris Kovacs gets
"suited up" with the help of FF Kevin Shea in the decontamination area
of Chardon High School. (Above Right) Personnel stand-by near the "portal
monitor", a geiger-counter-like device that measures radiation readings of
persons standing in the yellow doorway.
The Chardon Fire Department passed a major nuclear power plant
disaster readiness drill on April 9, 2002. The department received
excellent marks from a Federal Emergency Management Agency evaluator during a
drill designed to measure the department's capabilities to rapidly set-up an
evacuation & radiation monitoring/decontamination station at Chardon High
School. The evaluator said, "This is one of the most-efficient,
organized deployments of this drill I have ever seen. You all seemed to
know exactly what needed to be done, and you quickly went and did it."
In the event of an actual nuclear plant emergency, the Chardon
High School is designated as one of the sites where Perry School evacuees and
many fire/EMS/Police personnel would initially go as they leave the "hot
zone" of a nuclear crisis. Before entering the center, all persons
and vehicles would be monitored for radiation/fallout at the high school.
This center is set up with the help of the Geauga Department of Emergency
Service (DES), the Red Cross, and the Chardon Fire Department. Two
practice drills were held in February & March to prepare for the final, FEMA-evaluated
drill. Over 20 Chardon FD members participated.
FEMA was in the Lake/Geauga County area all week evaluating the
readiness of the Perry Nuclear Power Plant, surrounding fire departments,
Disaster Services agencies, the American Red Cross, area hospitals, and 911
centers.
For More Information Contact:
Chardon Fire Department
110 S. Hambden St. Chardon, OH 44024
Tel: 440-285-4665
FAX: 440-285-8320
Internet: Capt. John Blauch, Webmaster
