By Bill Cereske

NERT Advisory Board

At 0900 on the morning of Sunday August 19, 1999, the sounds of emergency vehicles responding broke the morning silence. Dozens of units responded to City Hall, including Fire engines and trucks, Heavy Rescue 1 & 2, Hazardous Materials units, Police squad cars, vans, the bomb squads, representatives from the O.E.S. and units from The U.S. Army.

Another terrorist drill was underway!

This drill was again marked by active participation of our volunteer emergency response teams - NERT!

As the units pulled up to City Hall to a simulated report of white smoke coming from a box and people dropping like flies, they were greeted at the front door by Bill Cereske and a Sheriff's Deputy coughing, drooling and twitching - very sick indeed.

Two firefighters in full breathing apparatus proceed to use their fire hoses to drench the pair for about 15 minutes, got them out of most of their clothes, took them to a decontamination tent, scrubbed them with brushes and got them to the medical triage area - dressed in bright white sterile suits (which they got to keep).

Meanwhile, rescue crews clad in full encapsulation suits entered City Hall and brought out the other "victims", who were given the same (almost) decontamination treatment and medical triage.

Police officers on the scene, anxious to get in on the act, made "arrests" on a pair of suspected "terrorists", Advisory Board Chair Bob Jacklevich and Board member David Hirtz. They even went so far as to march a (Really!) handcuffed David to a squad of soldiers and turn him over to them. Of course, it was all in fun.

The drill winding down, one of the Battalion Chiefs in charge, Jim Bartell, produced a cooler containing delicious homemade lunches and soft drinks for all of us volunteer victims.

As we rested up following an admittedly tiring and chilling drill, it was reflected that our efforts are going to make a real difference one day to someone (or someones) someday. And it just doesn't get any better than that.