Piedmont College Overcomes Deadly Tornado

With the effects of a deadly tornado staring them in the eye, Piedmont College nursing students raced the clock to save their classmates' lives before it was too late.

A phone call to 9-1-1 triggered the medical personnel to retreat to the disastrous scene. Among the screaming sirens moving toward the catastrophe, pedestrians laid waiting, wounded or dead, surrounding the Arrendale Amphitheater at 10 a.m. this morning.

Piedmont College's disaster drill included 100 participating juniors in the R.H. Daniel School of Nursing and Health Sciences, where 24 victims of the tornado were officially pronounced dead. Emergency personnel involved in this year’s drill included the City of Demorest Police and Fire departments, Habersham County Medical Center and EMS, Habersham County Fire Department, Sheriff’s Office, 911/Emergency Management Agency, the Georgia Emergency Management Agency, Homeland Security, Habersham Search and Rescue, and the District Two Public Health Administration.

Preparing for an event this large is a diligent task. The students, faculty, administration and officials that were a part of this drill worked in harmony to create a disaster that was as realistic as possible.

"We started planning last year actually, and we've started planning next year's as well," said Professor Karen Greilich, assistant professor of nursing. "But, this is the first time we've ever had a drill in the backside of Swanson. We've had it at different locations in the past, but a tornado isn't just in one location. It's about a year's worth of planning though, with multiple meetings and lots of emails."

An effective disaster drill is lifelike, interactive and moderately stressful for the participants. This year's drill was a way to perfect Piedmont College's response to a particular emergency situation.

"This is a community event where we are able to test our skills and try out some new wings," said Piedmont Police Chief Marie Taylor. "Providing the opportunity to train the nursing students in disasters such as these is amazing."

Members of the Piedmont theater department assisted with makeup for the disaster. Dr. Kathy Blandin, assistant professor of theater, explained that assembling injuries began with setting up the basics. "We started with bruises and lacerations, progressing to the more advanced injuries such as hanging shrapnel, and then finishing up with the truly advanced makeup like latex, burns and amputated limbs."

Arriving before 7 a.m., the theater department majors were divided up between basic, intermediate, and advanced makeup to create the authentic injuries and trauma for the victims.

"We just kind-of shuffled through them all," Blandin said.

The mission of the Piedmont College Campus Police Department according to its website is, "to promote an atmosphere of learning and community involvement by enhancing the physical, mental, and emotional security and well-being of the students, faculty, staff, and visitors."

"We have a terrific relationship so that makes it easy to work with one another," said Taylor.

Taylor and Greilich explained that each person worked together for the "greater good," helping as many people as possible in the disaster.

"We worked very seamlessly with one another. Nobody really even thought about who they worked for. It was just, 'here's a job, let's get it done'," said Taylor.

According to Taylor, Piedmont College's 2018 disaster drill was a complete success because of the opportunity to "learn and practice" as a whole.

"As a community, this is a wonderful effort we get to have together."