The 21st annual Cook County Emergency Services Conference April 23 -24 offered a wide variety of training opportunities and awards. Above: At the training on off-road medical travel, Mike Prom, Laura Popkes, Kelly Dahl and John Silliman (in the canoe with the “patient”) listen to feedback from instructors Bert and Johnnie Hyde of Ely Emergency Services. In front of the lashed-together canoes, ready to paddle, is Dan Alexander and Paul Dahl. Upper right: The Dolly Johnson Friends of Emergency Services Award was presented to Cook County Law Enforcement Dispatcher Darcy Ziller. Dolly Johnson’s daughter, Kelly Roberts, presented the 2009 award. Ziller received the award for her many years of knowledgeable and calm assistance to emergency responders and the public. Right: Gunflint EMS Chief Laura Popkes received the 2009 Emergency Services Provider of the Year Award. Popkes was nominated by Gunflint Fire Chief Mike Prom. EMS Director Wiinanen presented the award.
The 21st annual Cook County Emergency Services Conference was held Friday and Saturday, April 23 – 24, 2010 with interesting and exciting training taking place at the Cook County Community Center, School District 166, the Devil Track Lake boat landing and the Grand Marais waterfront.
The most noticeable training for people passing through Grand Marais on Saturday, April 24 was most likely the propane emergency training taking place at the Grand Marais Recreation Area. Instructors from Pine Technical College and Hennepin Technical College were on hand to set fire to the mock propane truck again and again, allowing teams of local firefighters to practice approaching the blazing vehicle, shutting off the propane supply while other firefighters kept a steady hose spray on the truck. The training shot columns of flame into the air visible from blocks away. A cadre of instructors—Mike Anderson, John Hastings, Jody Anderson, Will Pennings, and Bob Meyer—carefully watched as firefighters practiced their technique.
Another nearly real life training took place at the Devil Track Lake boat landing with Bert and Johnny Hyde of Ely Emergency Services. In this training, a patient was loaded onto a special inflatable gurney and backboard so emergency responders could practice wilderness medical transport. The “patient,” Chuck Silence, was tightly restrained and then carried to the waterfront, where he was loaded onto two canoes lashed together. Responders practiced paddling with a patient on board. US Forest Service Beaver pilot Dan Lee arrived and responders practiced loading the patient in and out of the plane and learned how to work with Beaver pilots in rescue situations.
Disaster response tested
Another exercise on Saturday afternoon included emergency responders from throughout the county in a tabletop exercise, rehearsing a response to a disaster crafted by Daria Day of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Gene Mannelin of the DNR, and Adam Shadiow of NE Regional Hospital Group. In the scenario, acted out with Matchbox cars and tiny wooden houses, a tanker truck loaded with fuel rolled over on Highway 61 in front of the North House Folk School in Grand Marais. Firefighters, ambulance workers, the sheriff and deputies, and Public Health and Human Services personnel talked about the steps that needed to be taken. How would the hundred-some people at North House be evacuated? How would traffic be stopped? What other agencies needed to be notified? How should media questions be handled? When should an incident management team be called in?
When the tabletop exercise was finished, participants “debriefed” and talked about what they had learned from the practice. Emergency Management Director Jim Wiinanen, organizer of the Emergency Services Conference, took comments and said a countywide incident management team (IMT) is something the county is working toward. Day said exercises such as this would help identify problems that should be addressed before the formation of an IMT.
Mannelin agreed, “You did a very good job. I was impressed with the knowledge you have, but I do see a need for a countylevel IMT.”
While the tabletop exercise and outdoor training was taking place there was much more for emergency responders— Bill Bernhjelm gave an update on the Allied Radio Matrix Emergency Response (ARMER); Keck Melby of the Hovland Volunteer Fire Department shared information on the traffic control program STOP; Chris Kunze, North Shore Hospital, LPN II offered How to Be an Emergency Services Superstar; the US Border Patrol gave a course in tracking; and much more.
Recognition for all
The conference wrapped up with a delicious dinner prepared by Moguls Bar and Taproom. Kris Eide, Director of Homeland Security/Emergency Management MN, spoke after dinner, reminding all the different emergency workers— fire, EMS, law enforcement, public health, hospital workers, public works, government officials— that “success is a team sport.” She commended Cook County’s emergency responders, as well as the many attendees from Lake County and even Canada, for all the work they do for the community.
After dinner, two awards were presented, the first the Dolly Johnson Friends of Emergency Services Award. Dolly Johnson’s daughter, Kelly Roberts, presented the 2009 award to Cook County Law Enforcement Dispatcher Darcy Ziller, who was on-duty at the law enforcement center. Deputies told Ziller to take a break and she was transported to the dinner by squad car. Ziller was nominated because of her many years of knowledgeable and calm assistance on the radio. She was nominated by Gunflint Fire Department EMS Chief Laura Popkes.
Ziller, unflustered as usual, smiled at her co-workers and reminded them that she learned the job from dispatcher Dolly Johnson herself.
Called up next was none other than Gunflint EMS Chief Laura Popkes to receive the 2009 Emergency Services Provider of the Year Award. Popkes was nominated by Gunflint Fire Chief Mike Prom. EMS Director Wiinanen presented the award, reading the list of duties that Popkes has taken on for the department— finishing with the fact that she serves as “mom” for many of her co-workers.
A tearful Popkes accepted the award, noting that she has a great team and adding, “I wouldn’t do this job anywhere else.”
Door prizes were drawn with some very nice gifts going to emergency responders from a grateful community. Wiinanen thanked all of the businesses and individuals who help put on the conference each year.
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