Public safety agencies around Puget Sound will practice coordinating rescue efforts in a series of aviation drills on Saturday September 10 and one of them will be in and over Discovery Park. This is the first regional exercise that coordinates all regional aviation assets in preparation for a natural disaster.
The scenario for the exercise assumes landslides, flooding and road washouts caused by heavy storms and 20 inches of rain. In Discovery Park, a Washington State Patrol (WSP) Cessna will circle the park and use its onboard thermal imaging camera to locate an injured patient. The Seattle Fire Department?s Helicopter High Rise Rescue Team, upon learning of the injured patient, will board a King County Sheriff?s helicopter and lower a rescue hoist to pick up the patient off a hillside near the lighthouse.
Other aviation exercises will take place simultaneously in Snohomish County.
Also participating in this drill are Central Pierce Fire and Rescue, Seattle Parks and Recreation, Seattle Police, WSDOT, Seattle Emergency Operations Center, Bellevue Police and Fire, and the Pierce County Sheriff?s Office.
Do they do this yearly? Are they conducting this test for any reason, ie, we expect to have a rough winter, they were found to be unprepared in the past, we have new equipment to test, etc?
I think you may wish to reread the article: ” This is the first regional exercise that coordinates all regional aviation assets in preparation for a natural disaster.”
If you need info beyond that I would suggest contacting one of the agencies participating, they all have public information officials to answer your questions.
My personal opinion is the Japan earthquake put the potential for? the “big one” happening here, along with other?natural disasters back east,?back on everyone’s agenda.
My ex roomate once got stuck on the hillside at Discovery Park on the
bluff (the tide came in and she tried to go straight up – no warning
signs at the bottom) for over 3 hours.