Just one of many emergency vehicles at KWC during the drill

By James Mayse
Published: Friday, March 19, 2010
Messenger-Inquirer

Owensboro police and firefighters tested their emergency response plans on the campus of Kentucky Wesleyan College Thursday, during a mock disaster drill that included a simulated chemical spill, a bomb threat and a hostage situation in one of the college’s buildings.

The drill included ambulances services from four counties, helicopters, Owensboro Medical Health System and the fire department’s hazardous materials team, as well as the Owensboro Police Department’s emergency response team. The scenario also tested Kentucky Wesleyan’s emergency plan.

“This gives us a much better way to evaluate” the college’s plan, said Kathy Rutherman, public relations director for the college. “Going through a drill makes your evaluation much more effective.”

The scenario, which was kept secret from the agencies participating in the drill, involved a man with a gun who causes a chemical spill in the science building. The armed man then goes to a different building looking for his wife, beats a student and leaves behind a backpack he claims contains a bomb. In the administration building, the man opens fire, shooting students and a police officer before barricading himself in a classroom full of students.

The SWAT team clears a classroom of hostages

Steve Leonard, battalion chief and fire marshal for the Owensboro Fire Department, said the drill makes firefighters aware that a seemingly routine situation — such as a fire alarm call — could spiral into something larger.

“It makes us aware a routine situation can change at any point,” Leonard said. “It keeps us from being so complacent.

“The best thing for us is it gives all our personnel the opportunity … to train in as near a realistic situation as we can create,” Leonard said.

The drill was held during the week of Kentucky Wesleyan’s spring break.

“I really tried to do this when (school) was in session, but it was going to be too much chaos,” said David Knight, Kentucky Wesleyan’s director of facilities. “We’ve been working on this for six months,” he said.

Emergency medical personnel aid a "pregnant" student who was injured

About 45 college students and staff members acted the roles of victims during the drill. Cindra Stiff, the college’s director of finance said the drill helped college administrators review the emergency plan and response system, which includes sending e-mails, text messages and voicemail calls to every student and faculty member when an crisis happens.

“We’ve been sending ‘one-call’ (messages) every 10 minutes,” Stiff said. The messages inform campus members and families that the school is locked down and to stay where they are safe.

“We’re not disclosing enough details that would cause curiosity,” Stiff said.

David Thompson, deputy chief for OPD, said the exercise allows the department to evaluate how officers responded and what needs to be changed.

“We’ll take some of the problems that may have arose from this exercise and try to correct them, so when we get to a real situation, some of those problems will have been worked out,” Thompson said.

During a debriefing Wednesday afternoon, representatives from the agencies discussed issues such as communication difficulties and the need to maintain security for responders. Paul Nave, who will be director of the city and county’s combined 911 dispatch center when it opens later this summer, said the drill was valuable “because we learn from them and no one gets hurt.”

“It was a great training experience for us,” Nave said. “We saw some defects we need to improve and some positives we have in place.”

Gordon Wilkerson, a spokesman for OMHS, said the hospital set up a decontamination tent outside the emergency room to clean chemicals from people playing the role of victims of toxic gas.

“We hadn’t tested that previously,” Wilkerson said. “ … I think things went really well. We involved the emergency department … the administration and the entire organization.”

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Here’s a quick video of one of the helicopters taking off as it transports a wounded student to the hospital:

For more photos of the mock disaster, visit KWC’s Flickr gallery.

KWC’s new AED (Automated External Defibrillator) program was featured on the 14WFIE news this week. Thanks to a $10,000 grant from OMHS, we are making campus life safer for students.

Watch a video clip of the news segment below:

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The images from the aftermath of the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that hit Haiti on Tuesday are stunning. As much as we’d like to jump on a plane and go help on the ground, that’s not practical for most of us.

So how can we help from here? A few ways:

 [Photo: (REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz)]

- Donate Money

Easiest way to do it is on your cell phone — text HAITI to 90999 and a $10 donation to the Red Cross will show up on your next phone bill. Or, text YELE to 501501 for a $5 donation to earthquake relief.

A few other places to give online: Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, World Vision, Compassion International ($35 sustains a family for a week), Kentucky Adoption Services (in Owensboro).

- Donate Supplies

Medical supplies are one priority. In Owensboro, you can drop off donations at Walnut Memorial Baptist Church, 519 W. Byers Ave. (926-0010). 

The Red Cross at 416 W. Third St. is also accepting donations, as is Missions of Love in Hartford (200 Main St.).

- Stay Informed

Follow news coverage to help keep Haiti in your prayers and actions. Great photo blog here: http://bit.ly/5MLKiA (some photos are graphic).

Also, here’s an updated blog from a small rescue center in the heart of the disaster.

- Pray

It’s one of the most accessible and powerful things you can do.

Other ideas? Add them in the comments.

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During the Kentucky-Louisville basketball game on Saturday, CBS announcers Verne Lundquist and Clark Kellogg mentioned that UK’s all-time record included more than 2,000 wins — and one tie.

Who was the tie against? How do you end up with a tie in a basketball game, anyway? Glad you asked.

In 1918, the University of Kentucky and Kentucky Wesleyan College played to a 21-21 tie. According to bigbluehistory.net, UK got off to a 14-4 halftime lead during the game (held in the Kentucky Wesleyan Admin Building in Winchester, Ky.)

KWC came back in the second half to post a 22-21 victory … until officials realized the scorers had counted a foul that had been disallowed (it must have resulted in a free throw). Without the extra point, the game was tied 21-21.

Both teams had already left the building and were dressing elsewhere, so the game stayed a tie.

UK and KWC played 11 times from 1910 to 1938, with UK winning nine of the games. KWC won 21-19 in 1911 and 31-25 in 1927.

This season marks Kentucky Wesleyan’s 100th anniversary of playing basketball.

Below is a copy of the 1918 game write-up from the Lexington Leader:

WILDCATS TIE WITH WESLEYAN

Score is 21 to 21 in good game at Winchester – Referee made an error

The Wildcats of the University of Kentucky journeyed to Winchester last night to meet the representatives of Kentucky Wesleyan College in a basketball contest which resulted in a tie, each team scoring 21 points. The fact that the game had resulted in a tie was not discovered until the teams had left the building and were in the gymnasium dressing.

At first it was thought that Wesleyan had defeated the Wildcats 22 to 21, but the scorers had made a mistake by counting a foul which had been disallowed. Referee Burr, of Wesleyan, signed a statement to this effect which “Daddy” Boles brought home to prove the statement that Wesleyan had not beat the Kentucky basketeers.

The Wildcats were in bad condition for the contest because of the two hard games which were played Thursday and Friday nights with the Tennessee quintet and were tired in the second half.

The first period ended with the Kentucky men in the lead by a score of 14 to 4. Wesleyan returned in the second half and began an advance which the blue and white basketeers could not stop.

Reese and Nunnelly starred for the Wesleyan five and Zerfoss led the scoring for the Wildcats with three field goals and two out of five fouls.

The game was hotly contested in the last half and both teams fought valiantly for a victory.

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KWC recently received a $10,000 grant from Owensboro Medical Health System to purchase Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) for campus. Along with CPR, AEDs dramatically increase the chances of survival for individuals who undergo a sudden cardiac arrest.

 The project began when Joe Lewis, a pre-med junior who is also a National Registry Emergency Medical Technician (Basic) and a paramedic student, brought to President King’s attention that KWC owns just two AEDs to cover a 63-acre campus. An AED must be used within three minutes for greatest success.

With the grant from OMHS’ Community Benefit Program, KWC will place the devices in more accessible areas to better serve the needs of students, faculty, and staff. “The additions of AEDs will be a much needed resource as the campus continues to expand and evolve in future years,” Lewis said. “I am grateful that OMHS could make this endeavor possible.”

The AEDs will be mounted in wall cabinets throughout campus, and residence life staff, athletic coaches and faculty and staff will undergo training to learn how to operate them.

According to the American Heart Association, more than 92 percent of people who experience sudden cardiac arrest outside a hospital do not survive. Communities with comprehensive CPR and AED programs, however, have achieved survival rates of 40 percent or higher.

KWC’s AED program will benefit the more than 1,000 students, faculty and staff on campus, as well as the hundreds of members of the Owensboro community who visit campus each year for presentations, programs and sporting events.

The AED grant is part of nearly $200,000 that OMHS gave to Owensboro organizations  in its second round of Community Benefit funding this year.

U.S. Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02) will make a special visit to Kentucky Wesleyan College this Thursday, November 12 at 9 a.m. in Rogers Hall.

Congressman Guthrie will be presenting the college with an official copy of the resolution he introduced last month in Congress honoring Kentucky Wesleyan for 150 years of service in higher education.

Please join us to give Congressman Guthrie a warm Kentucky Wesleyan welcome this Thursday morning.

More information, including the original resolution, is below:

Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02) announced on October 21 that the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed House Resolution 837, recognizing Kentucky Wesleyan College for their service as an institution of higher education for over 150 years.

Congressman Guthrie made the following remarks on the House floor in honor of the college:

“I rise today to recognize Kentucky Wesleyan College, which, for over 150 years, has been dedicated to giving its students the tools they need to be successful in all areas of life.

“A small liberal arts college, Kentucky Wesleyan offers a distinct collegiate experience that allows their undergraduates to grow academically, professionally and spiritually.

“The college started from its modest beginnings in Millersburg, Kentucky in 1858 with one building and with the first graduating class consisting of only one man.

“Today, Kentucky Wesleyan has broken out and made incredible gains, with over 8,500 men and women having earned degrees, each continuing to uphold the traditions and values that were created so long ago.

“Over recent years, the college has renovated and expanded by updating the campus with new and refurbished buildings, adding new faculty and academic programs, and steadily increasing enrollment.

“Students at Kentucky Wesleyan are committed to making a difference and encouraged to be an example for others.

“The president of the college, Dr. Cheryl D. King, who is also an alumna, has made it a point to develop personal relationships with the students. She is dedicated to making their collegiate experience a valuable and memorable one.

“Dr. King expresses the goals and values of the college perfectly in a letter to prospective students. In it she writes:

“‘Our students are encouraged to serve in anticipation of a lifetime of service to others. Last year, one third of our students took part in community service opportunities. From overseas mission trips to numerous local projects, Kentucky Wesleyan students meet the needs of others and positively impact the world around them.’

“Kentucky Wesleyan has truly lived out its mission statement to foster a liberal arts education that nourishes, stimulates and prepares future leaders intellectually, spiritually and physically to achieve success in life.

“Under the leadership of Dr. King, I know the college will continue to grow and flourish. I look forward to watching the strides they make and seeing the accomplishments of its students and alumni.

“I am proud to represent Kentucky Wesleyan in Washington, I am proud to represent the community in which it exists, Owensboro and Daviess County, and I wish them nothing but the best.”

House Resolution 837 honoring Kentucky Wesleyan passed 415-0. Read the full text here.

Watch the video below:

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