Granada Hills : Hospital Practices Radioactive Rescue

Picture this: A truck hauling radioactive waste collides with a school bus, scattering bloody children and nuclear particles in the street. It sounds grim, but it’s the kind of disaster hospitals must be prepared to handle at a moment’s notice.

On Tuesday, Granada Hills Community Hospital staged a simulation of just such an accident in order to test the response time of hospital personnel. Guest starring as victims, panicked parents and the pushy press were about 30 members of Boy Scout Troop 911.

“It was an honor for us to come and help the hospital,” said Eagle Scout Jason Kaltenbach of Granada Hills, who remained on the sidelines taking pictures during the three-hour event. The Northridge-based troop has made emergency preparedness its primary focus, Jason said, and Tuesday’s drill gave Scouts the chance to watch the professionals at work.

“The boys really enjoy doing this,” said Scoutmaster Carl Pabst. “It’s just a great experience watching them.”

The hospital estimated that it would take 45 minutes to process and admit all the “injured.” Janet Latto, the hospital’s disaster officer, said the rescue clocked in at 36 minutes.

“It went wonderfully,” Latto said, noting that the drill was designed to test the staff’s ability to manage an accident scene involving radioactive material.

Each actor received his or her character’s motivation in the form of written and verbal instructions, Latto said, with Scouts playing everyone from corpses to injured children interfering with rescue workers.

“This particular troop did a fantastic job,” Latto said. “They emoted beautifully.”