Practice makes perfect for disaster response

The Camarillo Disaster Assistance Response Team hosted an Amtrak/Metrolink train disaster drill recently. Other local DART groups, including the Thousand Oaks DART and the Sheriff's Explorers, participated in the drill.

More than 40 rescuers from the various disaster teams rescued 88 victims from three Metrolink triple decker coaches.

Steve Pellnitz, Helen Tallen and John Heeg led rescue teams in each of the cars, while Ed Hufschmidt coordinated the team as operations section chief and assisted the Camarillo Operations on the general incident command staff.

Participants triaged and packaged victims while the Explorers transported victims to the medical area and brought in additional supplies. Michael and Isabel Voelker, who had been working logistics, and Lorna Rose also assisted with transporting supplies.

Deborah Shreffler, Hal Hirsch, Valerie Barnard, Dodie Meister and Garey Garrett worked the medical triage area. Michael and Isabel Voelker, Dodie Meister, Lewis Jones and Garey Garrett worked in the rescue task in the rail cars.

The Voelkers also performed a fence-cutting operation for access to an adjacent area for helipad evacuations.