Suffolk County MAB – Emergency Personnel Prove They’re Prepared for Major Incidents

During mass casualty drill on Sunday, East Hampton Town agencies treated 36 victims of a three-vehicle crash.

The most comprehensive mass casualty incident drill in recent memory was held in Montauk on Sunday, preparing police, firefighters, and emergency medical service personnel throughout the town for large scale emergencies.

Fire departments and ambulance agencies from Amagansett, Bridgehampton, East Hampton, Montauk, Springs, and Sag Harbor, responded to a staged motor vehicle accident on Old Montauk Highway, near Cemetery Road, in Montauk on Sunday morning, along with East Hampton Town police.

The situation: A small bus rolled over after hitting a van and a car. There were 36 “victims” — a few of whom were “deceased” upon arrival.

The Town of East Hampton helped to set up the drill by using a payloader to position the bus, an old one used to transport senior citizens, a van, donated by Bates Electric, and a donated car.

The East Hampton Town Chiefs’ Association organized the drill, and Springs Fire Department Chief Ben Miller, the association president, said the 36 victims were played by mostly students from East Hampton and Pierson high schools who were fulfilling community service hours.

Heavy rescue squads from Amagansett, East Hampton, Montauk and Springs fire departments extricated the victims from inside the vehicles. A mannequin was placed under one of the cars to simulate a rescue where firefighters had to lift the vehicle off a person. EMTs assessed and treated the living victims, who were either seriously injured or were among the “walking wounded,” and then transported them to the hospital — “Amagansett General,” which was the Amagansett Fire Department, Miller said.

Suffolk County aviation even responded, landing at the West Overlook to transport an amputee patient to the hospital.

The county’s new Major Emergency Response Vehicle also made the trip out for the drill. “Basically, it’s like a large bus with lots of cots in it,” Miller explained. EMS providers can arrange the inside to transport 24 patients, but the M.E.R.V. vehicle can also be used for firefighter rehab. “It would be available in case of a real M.C.I.,” he said.

“Great teamwork by all agencies,” Miller said. “We extricated, treated and removed victims all under two hours, which is pretty cool,” he said.

Afterwards, Suffolk County representatives critiqued the drill. “They were very pleased with the work,” he said. “It was a great opportunity to work together.”