Pleasant Valley Hospital Holds Mass Casualty Training Exercise

Thursday, October 21, 2021

Practice makes perfect and a mass casualty training exercise held Thursday, October 28th helped prepare first responders and hospital staff should the real thing occur, specifically an equipment malfunction at the high school.

Pleasant Valley Hospital staff worked with Mason County first responders in a mass casualty training exercise from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 28, at the hospital, located at 2520 Valley Drive in Point Pleasant, WV. The purpose of the exercise was to make sure staff are prepared in the case of a real emergency.

“Pleasant Valley Hospital continues to improve safety, security, and ourselves in the event of a disaster, threat, or inclement weather,” stated Bryan Litchfield, Director of Plant Operations, who coordinated the training exercise.

Jeff Noblin, FACHE, CEO of Pleasant Valley Hospital stated, “I’m glad we were able to hold this training. It’s never a fun scenario to think about, but by practicing it regularly, I feel our team is ready should the unthinkable occur.”

“Teamwork and relationships are vital during real disasters. This exercise helped to develop, sustain, and provide feedback on the proficiency in the tasks that make up critical emergency response operations. It is a learning opportunity for our staff and responders to examine the unique aspects of responding to a mass casualty disaster,” stated Elisabeth Lloyd, Director of Mason County EMS.

Participating agencies in the exercise included the Mason County EMS, Mason County Sherriff Department, City of Point Pleasant Police Department, Mason County Offices of Emergency Services, volunteer students from Point Pleasant Junior Senior High School and other public health experts.