Horizons Youth Services

Charleston Job Corps student participate in disaster preparedness drill

When it comes to disaster preparedness, practice makes a huge difference.

And students from the Charleston Job Corps Center played a big part in the success of a recent Disaster Preparedness Drill at Harris Riverfront Park in Huntington, WV. Thirteen students from the center joined others to act as disaster victims with various injuries from lacerations to broken limbs. The drill involved a riverboat accident with mass casualties.

The drill, held June 23, is being led by the Cabell-Wayne Local Emergency Planning Committee.  Emergency responders utilize this training to examine and evaluate emergency planning procedures, as well as coordination among first responders and community partners.  Several groups participated in the drill, including the Huntington Fire Department, U.S. Coast Guard, Cabell County E.M.S., Cabell County 911, Huntington Police Department, St. Mary's Medical Center, Cabell Huntington Hospital, the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Spring Valley and River Park Hospital.

CJCC is grateful for the opportunity to participate in this drill as part of the center’s activities for Universal Safety Month.  Student participants included Brittany Yeager, Lizabell Gonzalez, Tamara Evans, Cierra Smith, Angelique Jackson-Hazelwod, Ben Binda, Taylor Wallace, Ronald McPhaul, Samantha Jakoby, Jahnay Brice, Michaela Sims, Cameron Blankenship and Paris Jamison accompanied by Gary Evans, safety officer; Jeffrey Burdette, security manager; and Tia Welch, business community liaison.

Pictured, first row, are Brittany Yeager, Lizabell Gonzalez, Tamara Evans, Cierra Smith, Angelique Jackson-Hazelwod and Ben Binda; second row:  Taylor Wallace, Ronald McPhaul, Samantha Jakoby, Jahnay Brice, Michaela Sims, Cameron Blankenship and Paris Jamison.