Injuries casused by a horrific storm devastated the Tillamook County Composite Squadron’s roster when members met up in May …
… or so an onlooker might surmise.
Instead, five cadets and four adult members from the Oregon Wing squadron were actually portraying disaster victimsr the Emergency Volunteer Corps of Nehalem Bay’s Emergency Shelter Exercise at the North County Recreation District in Nehalem.
They sat for several hours, lending their bodies and minds to Lt. Col. Deborah Maynard, a moulage specialist as well as the squadron’s commander, and Larry Wiedenhoft, a registered nurse and emergency medical technician, to lend an air of realism to the exercise.
A week before the exercise, the squadron’s participating cadets and adult members received situation cards informing them of what injuries and medical needs they would portray.
They reported to the exercise with a change of clothing that allowed moulage application without ruining their uniforms. Wiedenhoft then gave each cadet a last-minute briefing on how they should act according to their injury or situation,, then turned them over to Maynard for makeup.
As the exercise began, members followed a fast-paced schedule in proceeding to the medical area. As they arrived, Community Emergency Response Team volunteers triaged and Medical Reserve Corps members assessed their simulated injuries and routed them to the appropriate medical or support station.
The exercise was open to the public, with several information booths and volunteers available to address emergency preparedness and available programs.
Portraying victims were:
Lt. Col. Michael Walsh
Darla Fields
Theresa Nelson
Teresa West
Cadet Tech. Sgt. Taua Gago
Cadet Senior Airman Eliora Johnson
Cadet Airman Hunter Fields
Cadet Keegan Burdick
Cadet Leticia Navarro
