On June 11, 2008 Dawson County Emergency Services and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources coordinated a full-scale training exercise at Amicalola Falls State Park. That morning Georgia DNR and DCES teams assembled off High Shoals Road to participate in a mock disaster involving a multi-casualty event.

The scenario opened with a call from a scout leader reporting some of his troop has been struck by lightning. Amicalola DNR resource manager Elisabeth Pinion and Dawson County 911 are notified. Manager Pinion activates Amicalola personnel as well as the search team. DCES is dispatched. Other counties are on stand-by.

In this simulated real-time exercise, boy scouts were huddled under a make-shift tent when lightning struck nearby. One scout was immediately killed and several others suffered various degrees of injury. One of the troop leaders with an extensive cardiac history experienced chest pains and a scout with a history of allergic reaction wandered into a nest of yellow jackets and was stung numerous times.

Within 10 minutes of the call from the scout leader, the first of several DNR rescuers arrived. Following an assessment of the scene, he called for assistance and began triage. During the two hours that followed, nearly 70 people, including personnel from Dawson, Gilmer, Lumpkin and Hall counties and Emory Flight, participated in this full-scale emergency response exercise.

“This was a collaborative effort for several agencies to accomplish several goals,” stated Dawson County Emergency Services Chief Lanier Swafford. “Those goals were to conduct a safe training exercise and to practice for an event we don’t encounter every day, but that has high potential and poses a great threat due to the large number of people that camp in the state parks and national forests throughout northeast Georgia.” Chief Swafford continued, “It also helped all of the scouts participating to earn their emergency preparedness badge and when all was said and done we had a great day learning together.”

The drill simulated 19 patients ranging from minor to severe injuries with one fatality. All transport locations were simulated. According to Emergency Services Director Billy Thurmond, “The exercise was a valuable learning experience for all that participated. Thanks to all of the organizations for their assistance.”