8
MARCH 15, 2024
SMOKE SIGNALS
Emergency Services exercise
On Tuesday, March 5, the Tribe’s Emergency Services
Department and Spirit Mountain Casino held a full-
scale hazardous materials and mass casualty exercise
at the casino. Emergency Services has an obligation and
requirement through several federal and state grants
to plan and conduct an exercise to test its capabilities
preparing for, mitigating against, responding to and re-
covering from a hazard that involves mass casualty and
hazmat/chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and
explosive threats. Additional participating organizations
included Grand Ronde Tribal Police Department, Ore-
gon Health Authority, Oregon Department of Human
Services, Oregon Department of Emergency Manage-
ment, Salem Health, Salem Hazmat Team and Deployed
Logix. A methamphetamine lab explosion that released
chemicals into the rooms of Spirit Mountain Hotel was
the training scenario.
Tribal Elder Veronica Gaston gets fake blood applied by Donna Shamblin in preparation for
the hazardous materials and mass casualty exercise. Shamblin is a medical assistant at Salem
Health and volunteered to apply moulage and be a victim in the exercise.
Emergency Services Firefighter
Darien Leno, left, and Emergency
Services Lt. Jake Gillins, right,
carry victim Callista Rhamy to
safety during the hazardous
materials and mass casualty
exercise.
TO SEE MORE PHOTOS
TO SEE MORE PHOTOS
VISIT US ON
@SmokeSignalsCTGR
@CTGRsmokesignals
Photos by Michelle Alaimo
Oregon Department of Emergency Management Tribal Liaison Sophi Beym screams in pain as she plays the part of a victim during the hazardous materials
and mass casualty exercise. Emergency Services Lt. Jake Gillins reads her patient information sheet to determine her injuries.