Staff at Massena Memorial Hospital in Massena, N.Y., staged a three-day diaster drill to practice dealing with a fire in the zone that houses their MRI machine and the explosion of the machine itself, according to an article on the Watertown Daily Times website.
Complicating the situation are the hazardous materials in the area, including radioactive materials stored in the nuclear medicine hot lab and the magnetic field within the MRI zone.
As the “disaster” unfolded,staff reviewed each step they would take. Firefighters on the scene, likewise, reviewed their role and pointed out any problems they might face.
On day three, because of the two explosions, the hospital has no electrical or heating, ventilation and air conditioning service, and communication is limited to internal radio, cell and satellite phones.
“It is essential that we conduct these drills to maintain an appropriate level of readiness to respond to the unexpected,” according to a hospital official.
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