Coyote Crisis Campaign
Last week I was bored and I was reading the newsletter put out by the center for independent living in Phoenix named ABIL. There are lots of different articles in there, a tech swap shop, and news about different events going on. One article in particular caught my eye. "Coyote Crisis Campain" I'm thinking huh? So I read on. I guess every other year in Phoenix, the CCC happens. Basically the CCC is a simultion of a terroristic event, and how local, state, and federal authorities handle the reprecussions of said event. The first year that the CCC occured the simlation was a "dirty bomb". The simulation only really occured in the city of Scottsdale. The next year I belive the "crisis" was the pandemic flu. This year however it's a tad more "interesting/worse/terrible" whatever you want to call it. This year the "crisis" is Blast Injury.
The CCC needed disabled individuals to sign up so that the authorities could learn to deal with disabled peeps in a crisis situation. I am crazy enough to sign up. I took part in the mock crash in high school, and I've been assured that this is something like that only on a much LARGER scale. The disabled will be injured persons requiring medical care, treatment, and transport to local valley hospitals. I've signed all of the waivers and frankly I'm excited as all get out. I won't really be injured mind you, I'll just have lots of gross grodie makeup on. I told my mom that I would take pictures and when I get said pictures developed I will post them under a link so ya'll don't get grossed out. I guess the process will be something like this (We have to arrive at our assigned hospitals early in the morning where we will be fed a continental style breakfast Then it's off to the makeup room with our assignments. I don't know mine yet and we probably won't know until the day of the exercise. After the make up room they put us in a bus or a van and transport us to Arizona State Univeristy the site of the "blast". Then after the blast takes place I guess all hell will break loose. We will be triaged, treated, transported, and treated and I guess after we are treated we get to go home.
I'm a little strange in I've wanted to take part in one of these things since I was maybe 13. I had a friend who was a paramedic and she told me all about these events and while they test the system they can be really fun as well. Plus I guess I'm doing my part to help the emergency community as a whole learn how to deal with disabled injured people. I wanted to be a paramedic for the longest time but that idea was nixed when I xouldn't pass the drivers test. So I'll do what I can to help.
So now the hard part. Do I play blindy, deafie, or deafblindy? Every disabled person that is participating has been advised to leave service dogs at home if at all possible. Me personally and this might get me flamed, but I wouldn't want to put my dog into a EXTREMELY stressful situation like this if I could help it. I mean if it happens in real life we'll deal but I'm sorry I'm leaving my dog at home. Now when I get home I have to search under the couch, in the closet, and anywhere else I can think of to find "pogo" my trusty cane.
It will be interesting to see how this all plays out on the tenth of this month. I'll be sure to give you all updates as I find out more. personally I think this is an awsome idea because certain events in our nation have shown how fraigile an unprepared system can be.