Campus Connection

UWL, partners sharpen emergency preparedness through training exercise

UW-La Crosse hosted a full-scale training exercise, Wednesday, Aug. 13, designed to prepare university, state and local partners for a potential emergency on campus.

The exercise — coordinated by the UWL Police Department, La Crosse County Emergency Management and the UW-Madison Police Department’s Emergency Management unit — used the scenario of a high-rise fire at a campus residence hall to engage key stakeholders in emergency management preparedness, response and recovery.

“It’s a great opportunity for the fire station, the La Crosse Fire Department, to train within one of the campus residence halls,” explains Seth Wilson, emergency management coordinator for La Crosse County. “Being able to do it in an environment where it’s an exercise, a fault-free environment, (is beneficial). This is where you can make mistakes so that, when a real emergency happens, mistakes aren’t made.”

Firefighters and other emergency response units descended on Sanford Hall, where smoke and high temperatures simulated conditions similar to a live fire. Crews went door to door, checking each room and simulating evacuations, mirroring how they would handle a real emergency.

“It is hot, even without a real fire, so our crews are sweating, they’re on air, and we have it smoked up in there,” says Molly McCormick, community risk educator for the La Crosse Fire Department. “It feels very real.”

After the fire simulation, crews and volunteers moved to Hetzel Fieldhouse, where a mock care center was established to support students, staff and faculty affected by the fire. These volunteer role-players helped staff gain valuable experience responding to a wide range of care possibilities.

Detective Adrian Meyer of the UWL Police Department says the exercise allowed local and state agencies to streamline emergency communications and identify areas for improvement, which will make UWL a safer and more efficient campus in case of future emergencies.

The successful exercise was a credit to collaboration, he says, and the efforts of volunteers.

“The teamwork, the collaboration, the community approach — everyone came together to work as a team and test our capabilities,” Meyer says. “All the people volunteering  — it’s just amazing how many people took time out of their busy schedules to help us out.”

Representatives from Emplify Health by Gundersen, Mayo Clinic Health System, the La Crosse Police Department, La Crosse Fire Department, Red Cross, Western Technical College, Viterbo University and La Crosse Chaplains also participated in the exercise.