Each year, emergency room and ancillary staff go through emergency response training to keep current on their skills and knowledge in case of an incident. This particular training was a decontamination education update. The education prepares staff for any type of chemical, biological or natural disaster emergency.

Training included eight hours of class instruction and a hands-on portion, involving decontamination suits, a decontamination tent and a drill on how to accept a mass volume of patients. During the training, the staff was able to receive a patient and get them through the decontamination process in just eight minutes.

The emergency response training is certified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, also known as FEMA, an agency in the Department of Homeland Security. Aultman Orrville staff was monitored and instructed by a FEMA trainer, and all of the staff participating will receive a certification from FEMA.

According to Lori Josefczyk, manager of the Emergency Department, the hospital staff is committed to protecting the community in the case of an emergency or contamination.

“Our staff will be here and prepared if we ever need an emergency response,” Josefcyk said. “We want the community to know if an incident occurs, the hospital will continue to run and provide a high level of care.”