Newbern does full scale earthquake drill as part of national ShakeOut
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NEWBERN, Tenn. — Thursday morning, the parking lot of Northview Middle School was packed with emergency vehicles. Not to worry, there was no cause for alarm because it was all part of the National ShakeOut campaign. Jim Richards, Chief of Operations in Newbern, said it’s absolutely necessary to be prepared should an earthquake strike. This ShakeOut was no ordinary simulation. “All their students and faculty were involved. The fire department, the county’s rescue squad, our Dyersburg Regional service and the Air Evac service with helicopters,” said Richards. About a hundred people came out to put together the full scale drill. Around 650 students and teachers were inside having regular classroom hours. However, they did begin their day with a basic earthquake drill. Richards said instead of just hiding under desks, first responders reacted to what a 6.5 magnitude earthquake could look like for Newbern. Volunteers from Dyersburg Community College acted as injured victims. “They were triaged by the rescue and the ambulance authority and appropriate action was taken with what they would do medically,” said Richards. The volunteers were all students with a concentration in E.M.T. “This isn’t a joke, even though this doesn’t happen on a regular basis like a thunderstorm. This is pretty serious, and they need to be prepared,” said volunteer, Lauren Day. First responders gathered after the drill to discuss things they did well and things that can be improved upon.
