TYRONE – Rick Hettinger of the Education and Informatics Department at Tyrone Hospital recently completed training offered by 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 (FEMA) and is the only federally-chartered weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) training facility in the nation.
Hettinger was one of the 143 professionals from public health entities, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and hospitals in Pennsylvania who attended the specialized training. Program attendees gained critical skills to respond effectively to local incidents or potential WMD events. The training also included an Integrated Capstone Event (ICE) training, an all-hazards exercise that focused on emergency response
to a catastrophic natural disaster or terrorist act. The exercise involved a small domestic terrorist organization carrying out multiple attacks on a fictional city, resulting in more than 300 injured people needing immediate triage and treatment. Role playing and state-of-the-art human patient simulators were used in the training exercise.
“This was the best training that I have ever attended,” said Hettinger. “It stressed the importance of training as a team to be better prepared in the event of not only a terrorist event but for any disaster that could affect our community and the hospital. It was a great experience to work with other healthcare professionals from all across Pennsylvania. I was able to work with people from Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, the state’s Department of Health, and our neighbors in Clearfield, State College, and Altoona. We not only worked well together during training, we developed relationships that will help us work together in the event disaster strikes here at home.”
Hettinger’s responsibilities at Tyrone Hospital include development and implementation of continuing education programs for staff and EMS education programs and he serves as the hospital’s Emergency Response Team train-the-trainer. He also serves a member of the Tyrone Hospital’s safety and security committees.
Hettinger also represents Tyrone Hospital as a member of the Healthy Blair County Coalition and the South Central Mountains Regional Task Force (SCMRTF), Health/Medical and Training Committees. His background includes more than 30 years of service as an EMT and Paramedic. He is also a Licensed Practical Nurse and has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown in Healthcare Management and Education.
The training and information Hettinger received will be incorporated into Tyrone Hospital’s safety and emergency preparedness programs. Like other hospitals across Pennsylvania and the nation, Tyrone Hospital continually develops its programs for emergency preparedness. Tyrone Hospital is part of the broad network of organizations that must be prepared to respond in the event of any type of emergency situation at the local, state or regional level.
All training costs were fully funded by the (FEMA).
For more information about training or FEMA’s Center for Domestic Preparedness, visit cdp.dhs.gov or www.facebook.com/cdpfema.