Kent State University’s College of Nursing and College of Public Health are collaborating with the Portage County Health Department and the Emergency Management Agency (EMA) to stage a disaster simulation exercise. The “Point-of-Dispensing Exercise,” which involves a mock Anthrax release, triage and treatment site, will take place Thursday, Nov. 13, and Tuesday, Nov. 18, from 8 a.m. to noon at Kent State’s Student Recreation and Wellness Center.
The mock exercise allows the Portage County Health Department and the EMA to test the effectiveness of Portage County’s disaster plan. The event also offers training for Kent State community health nursing and public health students. Volunteers from the Medical Reserve Corps and Kent State faculty, staff and students will participate by acting as victims going through the triage and treatment stations during the simulation exercise.
“This disaster simulation exercise is an excellent opportunity for nursing students to practice their triage and screening skills in a real-life situation and in a community setting,” said Pamela Rafferty-Semon, M.S.N., RN and lecturer at Kent State’s College of Nursing.
“This is a great learning experience to see how the incident command system goes into effect during a disaster event, and how local partners and agencies work to help people who are impacted by a disaster,” said John Staley, Ph.D., assistant professor in Kent State’s College of Public Health.
For more information about the Portage County Health Department, visit www.co.portage.oh.us/healthdepartment.htm.
For more information about Kent State’s College of Nursing, visit www.kent.edu/nursing.
For more information about Kent State’s College of Public Health, visit www.kent.edu/publichealth.
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Media Contacts:
Eric Mansfield, emansfie@kent.edu, 330-672-2797
Emily Vincent, evincen2@kent.edu, 330-672-8595