The Oak Bluffs Fire Department conducted a fire and emergency services drill and simulation Saturday at the Summercamp hotel.
The simulation was conducted as a response to above-ground-floor emergency calls. “We have, in the past number of years, been called to various properties that require extrications above ground floor,” Oak Bluffs Fire Chief Nelson Wirtz told The Times.
The simulation involved three different medical emergency scenarios taking place on the upper floors of the hotel, each requiring different skills during the extrication of the “patient.” Officials practiced extrication using the stairs, and another utilizing a ladder truck. Wirtz described both processes as “manpower-intensive” and “equipment-intensive.”
In addition, officials also practiced establishing and following an “incident command system,” an emergency response coordination required for clear communication and efficient incident management.
“All emergencies are different, and knowledge gained in trainings like these can be used for many different reasons and in many different scenarios,” Chief Wirtz reflected on the demonstrations.
“Each scenario was very successful, and all members worked in coordination with one another,” he said.
