News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 25, 2008

CONTACTS: Mike Hicks, Emergency Services Planner, 816-701-8232; or Barbara Hensley, Public Affairs Coordinator, 816-701-8219

Local responders attend homeland security training

Twenty local officials recently completed a four-day homeland security training session at the Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) in Anniston, Ala. The CDP is operated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency and is the only federally-chartered Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) training facility in the nation.

Those who attend CDP training are specially selected from emergency response disciplines across the nation, including emergency management, emergency medical services, fire services, government administration, hazardous materials response, health care, law enforcement, public health, public safety communications and public works. Training at the CDP ensures that responders gain critical skills that will prepare them to effectively respond to local emergency incidents.

The CDP offers training at its Noble Training Facility — the only hospital facility in the nation dedicated to training hospital and health care professionals in disaster preparedness and response — and at its chemical, ordnance, biological and radiological training facility. The advanced, hands-on training culminated in a full-scale, mass-casualty exercise that emphasized the National Incident Management System.

The Mid-America Regional Council coordinated the attendance of local participants, including:

•           Amy Brummer, Manager of Emergency Services, St. Luke’s South Hospital

•           Anne Byrd, Vice President, St. Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City

•           Derek Collins, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator, North Kansas City Hospital

•           Timothy Doherty, Plant Operations Director, Research Medical Center

•           Janelle Hanchette, Clinical Nurse Manager, North Kansas City Hospital

•           Mike Hicks, Health and Medical Planner, Mid-America Regional Council

•           Steve Hoeger, Operations Manager, American Medical Response

•           Carolyn Jensen, Nursing Supervisor, Children’s Mercy Hospital

•           Gary Martin, Emergency Preparedness Manager, University of Kansas Hospital

•           Bonnie Martin, Emergency Response Coordinator, Kansas City, Mo., Health Department

•           Kyle McPhee, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator, St. Luke’s Hospital

•           Fidel Miranda, Operations Supervisor, MAST Ambulance

•           Lee Norman, Chief Medical Officer, University of Kansas Hospital

•           Eric Roberts, Trauma Services Director, Research Medical Center

•           David Schemenauer, Director of Safety, Security and Emergency Program, St. Luke’s Hospital

•           Bradley Strecker, Regional Hospital Coordinator, Missouri Hospital Association

•           Elizabeth Ticer, Public Health Emergency Coordinator, Johnson County, Kan., Health Department

•           Kevin Wheatley, Operations Supervisor, MAST Ambulance

•           Steve Williams, Director of Emergency Management, Truman Medical Centers

Course participants from the Greater Kansas City area were joined by about 40 responders from the St. Louis area and across Missouri.

MARCER’s STEMI routing policy is available online at www.marc.org/emergency/pdfs/STEMI.pdf. To view the Missouri House and Senate bills, go to www.house.mo.gov/billcentral.aspx.

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