Over 45,000 youngsters and staff in East Pierce County have promptly stepped up to the plate, facing down the potential wrath of Mt. Rainier with a serious yet orderly lahar simulation on Thursday. The towering 14,410-foot volcano has long stood sentry over the area, but in the face of possible catastrophe, the community isn't taking chances. The drill saw a wave of students from various schools such as Meeker Elementary, Puyallup High School, and All Saints School, stride through Downtown Puyallup en route to the sanctuary of the Washington State Fairgrounds.
Escorted by adults in high-vis gear and aided by police officers, the students practiced what could one day save to quickly move their lives. The skies above buzzed with the watchful eyes of drones and a helicopter, ensuring every step of the exercise was monitored and fed back to the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in Puyallup. “It’s incredible to see the work these communities living in the shadow of an active volcano are doing to keep their people safe!” Brian Terbush, the earthquake/volcano program manager at Washington Emergency Management Division, told MIL Washington Emergency Management Division’s news outlet.
This sizeable endeavor was brought together with the backing of local government, school districts, a muster of first responders, and state and federal agencies cooperating in unison.
Participants extended across the region with more from the Puyallup, Sumner-Bonney Lake, Orting, White River, and Carbonado districts all joining in. Channels of communication and logistics were supposedly tested and strengthened, ensuring that everyone from the youngest students to the most seasoned emergency officials knows precisely what to do when the ground shakes and the mountains stir.
According to the MIL Washington Emergency Management Division’s news release, such exercises underscore the capability and preparedness that could make a difference when faced with a real-life lahar event.
