CSU Channel Islands took part in 'Operation Ready Ventura County 2014,' a multi-agency earthquake preparedness drill held Jan. 14-16 at the campus and at Freedom Park in Camarillo. Photo courtesy of CSU Channel Islands Communications and Marketing Photostream
CAMARILLO — CSU Channel Islands took part in ‘Operation Ready Ventura County 2014,’ a multi-agency earthquake drill held Jan. 14-16.
The event comes during the same week as the 20th anniversary of the Northridge Earthquake on Jan. 17, 1994.
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services, along with the Ventura County Fire Protection District, Ventura County Emergency Medical Services, California State University Channel Islands and the American Red Cross, held the three-day full scale preparedness exercise that featured catastrophic earthquake drill causing significant damage in Ventura County, specifically to the university, the Ventura County Sheriff’s office reported in a media release.
The purpose of this exercise is to test four areas of responsibility: Mass Evacuation, Reception Processing, Mass Care and Shelter, and Commodity Points of Distribution, officials reported.
The exercise began on Jan. 14 with a series of discussion based table-top exercises at the Ventura County Emergency Operations Center in Ventura. The American Red Cross also activated a traditional shelter in partnership with the Ventura County Human Services Agency at Freedom Park in Camarillo.
Numerous public safety agencies converged upon a full-scale mass casualty incident on the university campus on Jan. 15. Police, fire and emergency medical services first responders encountered a number of simulated injured victims requiring rescue, triage and transport to a temporary hospital facility on campus. Numerous other non-injured victims were evacuated and transported by local transportation operators from the campus to a Red Cross non-traditional shelter that has been setup at Freedom Park. Evacuees were registered at the shelter and had the opportunity to visit a Local Assistance Center.
The exercise on Jan. 16 focused on commodity points of distribution and the process for providing potable water during a disaster. During the exercise, responders tested the region’ss ability to transport potable water and maintain the integrity of this water in portable water bladders.
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Visit http://www.readyventuracounty.org for more information.