Onto the next 'drill' during 'It's Hotter in Cleveland'

If you haven't read my last post yet, take a looksy!  It's Part I of my awesome experience taking part in the "It's Hotter in Cleveland" disaster drill exercise this summer executed by over 51 local, state, & federal agencies.

I'm thrilled and honored I was given the opportunity to join in on the operation.

Onto the afternoon session.....with pyrotechnics!

The next session moved outside of the Port of Cleveland warehouse. This DRILL scenario had a car drive by throwing a bomb-type device out the window causing many casualties.

I seem to meet my college buddies at the strangest places. Sure enough, not realizing I'd see him, I ran into a college friend of mine, Patrick Cusick, who is with the Cleveland Department of Public Health and Office of Emergency Preparedness. He too was extremely helpful in explaining the who, what, why, where, when, and how of this day. 

And icing on the cake, Pat and I got to role play victims of the car bombing. All in a day's work as an assignment editor!

After the explosive was thrown from the car, there was a short chase, the suspect crashed and police immediately took control of the scene. Police cautiously checked on the status of the suspect.  Once the suspect was no longer a threat, other agencies were allowed on site.  The bomb squad was needed to make sure there were no more live, active devices in the area.  Evidence started being catalogued and gathered. Emergency personnel started treating the injured patients while a team from Dr. Gilson's office (The Medical Examiner) arrived to assess the deceased victims.

It was GREAT seeing members of The Medical Examiner's Office I mostly speak with by phone or email:  Dr. Thomas P. Gilson M.D., Hugh Shannon, and Powell Caesar.  They are all such wonderful people!

I role played dead person #6 = a 38-year-old female with a depressed skull, multiple fractures and hemorrhages.  Let me tell you, laying on the gravel on a hot Cleveland day also gave me perspective of the conditions these folks work in day in and day out.  My co-workers were STILL picking gravel out of my hair at work. God love Robin Swoboda for being honest telling me I had flat and gravel hair!

At the end of the exercise, a wrap up mock press conference was held where Dr. Gilson and members of the Cleveland Police gave a statement and answered questions about the 'incident.'

At the very end we were given the grand tour of the Cleveland Police Mobile Command Unit.  Very cool, exciting, and so interesting to see what they have in the field during major breaking news situations.

All in all, a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I will never, ever forget.  What I learned will definitely help me execute aspects of my job much better while making so many wonderful contacts.  In my business, especially with what I do, you must reach out to others constantly to gather up-to-the-minute information on current news stories. It helps when the lines of communication are always open and the relationships strong!

I'm no expert but everything I viewed during the 'It's Hotter in Cleveland' disaster drill looked like it went off without a hitch. Everyone really knew their role and appeared to execute their job as expected.


I apologize in advance for anyone I leave out of my acknowledgements.  A big thank you to Laurie Turner, Emergency Manager with the VA, and Marek Owca from MetroHealth Medical Center, who were of great assistance and the leaders in this drill. 

It was also great seeing:  Jim Armstrong, Adam Gercak, Kevin Sur, Larry Gray, Jim Kopniske, Shelley Shockley, and Melanie Fisher....

More pictures from 'It's Hotter in Cleveland' disaster drill

My day embedded in a disaster drill

You ask, "What does an assignment editor do in her free time?"

Silly!  She immerses herself in one of if not THE largest, full-scale disaster drill Cuyahoga County has executed.

Throwing myself into the social media, blogging world has allowed me to have some amazing contacts including Erica Creech, who is the Communications Planner for the City of Cleveland Department of Public Safety and Office of Emergency Management.  Erica invited me to take part in the disaster drill this summer involving 51+ agencies from Cuyahoga County--agencies from the local, county, and federal levels.

Here is a quick, brief, and very simplified overview to set the stage on why before I share what I saw and how it unfolded.

Simply put, the emergency disaster drills are required at least every three years.  Oftentimes, the city or county or state are able to ascertain grants to pay for them. The head honchos of this particular drill, which took place at the Port of Cleveland, began their planning in December of 2011.  They pulled together at least 51 agencies to participate -- ranging from the FBI to local police, fire, EMS, Homeland Security, Cleveland Public Power, Coast Guard, area Health Departments, Medical Examiner's Office, Red Cross, area hospitals, various city halls, VA agencies, SERT, well you get the idea!  (And I do apologize if I did not list you all by name).

It takes massive planning, endless hours, and much dedication to pull it all together.  Just as you had fire drills in grade school, it's the similar concept though on a much grander platform.  We all have to be prepared in an emergency but it just doesn't happen.  Practice makes perfect.  These drills ensure those who keep us safe know exactly what to do should anything ever happen around us.  We are located in close proximity to two very large and active power plants, a massive body of water, and a number of airports.


I was invited to take part in the "It's Hotter in Cleveland" exercise. I jumped at the chance, though a tad apprehensive not knowing exactly what to expect.  Media were included because during an emergency, media will be there.  We (as media) can get a first hand look at what our rescuers do and WHY we shouldn't get in their way but in the same breath, the Emergency Management Team understand we need to do our job.  Media was just as much a part of this drill so coordinators could see how they could use the Media to get information out to the public in the quickest manner during a mass emergency.

We had a pre-planning session where we met with the main players in charge of this drill, got everything explained to us, and even donned the PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) suits that rescuers wear to protect themselves from differing conditions dealing with heat, chemicals, electrical, biohazards, etc. 

The simple gist of this drill, and yes -- IT WAS JUST A DRILL.  Anyone speaking on camera or tweeting referenced "It's just a drill."  So the gist of THIS drill:  There was an incident in Detroit (radiological) with mass casualties and many victims were brought to Cleveland via our Port anyway they could get them here (boat, air, etc) for treatment.  The actual drill ran all week long.  The day I participated we were at the Port.  The next day they executed drills at area hospitals.  Bottom line:  EVERY single agency must be included and work together to assure success.

Before the drill even began, my respect for rescue teams grew 1000x after trying to put on the PPE suit.  You can't.  You can't put the suit on alone.  You need a handler to help get the heavy suit on with multiple pairs of gloves, and shoes, and the gas mask and head gear.  Then imagine wearing this outfit carrying fire extinguishers or oxygen tanks, a two-way radio.... rescuing people from a burning building AND having to use a cell phone or radio to communicate with other personnel while wearing multiple pairs of gloves.  I have a hard time dialing my cell or typing on my computer when my nails are longer than usual.  Seriously!

The day of the drill -- AMAZING!  I arrived at the Port of Cleveland.  I saw many contacts I've known over the years, I met some contacts I've spoken to via phone or email or Twitter and met even new comrades I hope to work with for many years to come!

We signed in, were assigned a 'guide' if you will who was expected to travel everywhere with us for legal purposes and answer any questions we had.  My guide was Dan Ball, who was awesome in explaining what was happening and if he didn't have an answer, knew exactly who to contact!

Setting the stage:  Victims were brought to the Port of Cleveland needing help and assessment.  They may have radiation so rescuers in the PPE suits had to off-load the victims from the arriving boats then begin the extensive decontamination and evaluation process BEFORE leaving the Port to go to an area hospital.  Seeing the wheels in motion simply riveting.  There were various stations set up outside the Port where they evaluated each and every patient.  And when I say every patient, I mean even animals /dogs. Let's say a seeing eye dog was brought with his owner.  He, too, needed to go through a decontamination process. Once they were cleared, Animal Control would take charge of what's next.

Emergency personnel made sure the victims were not filled with radiation.  You have to remember there could be terrorists mixed in this casualty group--just another roadblock rescuers had to confront.  After the first decon session, they were taken into a tent to be worked on more closely and then brought out of the tent and put on a gurney for one more check over with a type of radiation detecting machine.  Once they passed that test, they were taken inside the Port of Cleveland.  Inside were more stations set up to determine where each patient should go next depending on the severity of their injuries.  For example, they had "Immediate," "Delayed," "Minor," "Patient tracking," "Triage nurses," and a makeshift "Morgue" for those already deceased.

What was cool during the drill is that every single person working had a job, a title, and wore that title on a placard or vest on their chest such as exercise safety controllers, labor units, PIO's, safety office, logistics, finance administration, coast guard, police, fire department, emts, medical examiner, red cross, etc.... they all had a special role and were key players in this drill.  'Evidence collection stations' are needed as well and folks to keep impeccable records.  Once a patient is sent to an area hospital, officials need to keep track of them to make sure they made it to the hospital and know exactly where they are at all times should family try finding them.


Back to the guys (or gals) in the PPE suits.  Honestly, I am in awe.  Again, they need help donning their suits.  They can only remain in them for 30 minutes.  They have a bell which rings when they only have 5 minutes of air left.  The folks in the suits then swap out at the end of their 30 minutes and then, they too, must go through a whole decontamination process to make sure THEY were not affected.  Medical staff on hand take the vitals of the PPE guys and ask them how they are feeling then they must sit for 20 minutes.  After that 20 minutes they must take their vitals again.  Once in the suit, you can't suit up again for that day.  Honestly, I was in that suit for no more than maybe 15 minutes and DRENCHED and exhausted when I exited the PPE suit.  I don't know how these rescue teams do it.

While in the PPE suit not really being able to talk, they have various signs they use to communicate with their fellow team members, especially if they are in danger.

After each session, there is a 'Hot Wash' where each department head gives an overview of how they think the drill went, if there are areas to improve, and any other feedback.  Then after the drill is complete there are more in depth de-briefing sessions and reports filed by each department.

On to the next drill....to be continued......

My hardest week in television: Tragedy in Chardon

I sit here wracking my brain at the last 27 years as a broadcaster and I can't seem to recall a harder week--professionally and almost personally.

I stretch back to the Kirtland Cult Killings in April of 1989. Another horrendous story. I was a newbie in television news with only a few years under my belt eager to experience all and every thing news. I was young, working at WEWS, and extremely pumped that we beat the competition on this story. I guess the fast flowing adrenaline did not allow me to focus on the tragedy at hand as it was happening. Though awful, with a stunning development that as a student at Hiram College, I may have met Jeffrey Don Lundgren on a tour of the Kirtland Church, it still does not compare to this week.

I ponder the East 87th Street house fire from May, 2005 where 8 children and 1 adult were killed. I was actually on the news desk working the overnight shift that night. I heard the call and got the wheels in motion for our coverage in Cleveland's most deadliest house fire. I was moved, but not like this.

The shooting at SuccessTech and the hostage standoff at CWRU did not elicit the same feelings I experienced this week.

The collapse of the Twin Towers came very close, maybe even paralleled the turmoil within and the non-stop working hours. Many tears were shed the week of and weeks following 9/11.

Yet, the events on February 27, 2012 in Chardon, Ohio has affected me in ways I never imagined. I can't quite put my finger on it and may never have an explanation, except remembering how I've felt all week.

Personally, nothing will compare with the death of my Mother and then 6 months later my father figure. I'm still not over her death--really never will be. Daily I carry so much grief around in my heart from that life altering day. Maybe life as I knew it changed when Mom died leading me to how I feel today--dictating how circumstances affect me now.


This unexpected calamity happened in our backyard. Chardon IS and has always been the poster child for 'hometown America' and Northeast Ohio's 'adopted city.' If you are from here, you've more than likely visited the Great Geauga County Fair in your lifetime or the Maple Sugar Festival. We'd go every year. We'd hit the pancake breakfast and have contests on who could stir the maple sugar fastest to make candy while we were twirling around in the ferris wheel.

We knew people from Chardon. I had an intern, a big football hero, who went to John Carroll and lived in Chardon. He wound up opening The Hilltopper Restaurant.

Going to college right down the road from Chardon could be another reason I hold it near to my heart. And taking it one step further, Mom's family had a farm in Chardon when she was growing up. She'd tell us such great stories of her family memories from Chardon, Ohio.


The day of the Chardon High School Shootings I was getting my car fixed in Portage County. The first I heard of the news was a breaking news text alert on my cell phone. All I could do until I could race into work was monitor what was happening via the service department's lounge tv. Even at that early stage, it seemed so surreal. Was this really happening? I felt like I was watching the events unfold on tv in slow motion.

This could not be happening down the road in Chardon, Ohio. Certainly not.

Finally, I was able to get into work. Similar to 9/11, I rushed in with my jeans and sweater, no shower, no food since Sunday making a quick stop back home tossing anything and everything into my car for the long haul. I knew I may be living at work or at the hotel next door, if need be, so needed whatever would fit from my cell phone charger to extra changes of clothes.

We excel in breaking news. Our non-stop, continuous coverage towered over the competition in every way, mainly because of our seasoned veteran reporters, anchors, and the hard working staffers at wkyc who all went above and beyond to cover this story all week long.


It's really hard to explain what happens during a breaking news story. There is mass chaos. That says nothing about an organization --it's just the nature of the business for a number of reasons: deploying your talent to numerous locations, processing hundreds of emails constantly flowing in, answering non-stop phones, trying to make calls verifying details pertaining to the story, feeding new details to my anchor people who could be going live in studio for 16 hours straight, being able to roll with new developments and change directions in a moment's notice, as well as just trying to keep the energy level up, stay hydrated and a little something in the belly so you don't pass out. There is sooooo much more than I just mentioned. It's absolutely insane but one of the many reasons I got into this business.

This goes on for days. You really don't have time to process what happened.

Then there comes that point where maybe the phone calls die down, you are able to leave work and depending on where you live, that short or long drive home in silence and solitude allows you to realize the events which unfolded. The tears begin flowing uncontrollably when you realize 3 young men just lost their lives at the hand of another confused young man and 3 others have been injured --the entire event took only minutes but will affect hundreds if not thousands of people forever.


Maybe this story has affected me so because it is 2012. This is the age of social media. In years past, you would see stories on tv and read about them in the newspaper. Today, it's hard to go a few seconds without seeing a new Tweet or new status update on facebook--many of them coming from all over the world.

We were receiving constant emails from viewers telling us about the victims' facebook pages, their twitter handles, friends of the victims sending us pictures from their facebook pages, and local media (whether it be print or tv) keeping everyone updated via Twitter and facebook.

The amount of information flowing in to the news assignment desk was insane. Crews in the field and staffers at 13th and Lakeside were exchanging information via email and text. Pictures were being sent both ways. Pictures coming into the station had to be verified, approved and then put on the air quickly. Emails were being circulated around by wkyc staffers so hopefully the reporters in the field knew where to go, what angles to pursue, any new information, and what the next game plan step may be.

I'm not going to lie. It was overwhelming, and at times, very confusing and frustrating. But you can't give up. You have to keep pounding the pavement, processing the information, keep the lines of communication open and just do anything and everything to tell the story and inform our viewers what is happening supplying everything they need to know.


I think at first, I was in work mode. I never shed a tear watching wkyc reporter Eric Mansfield interview Nate, the student who got grazed by a flying bullet. But I was stunned by the young man's matter of fact recounting of the morning's events and drawn in by his interview. He was clearly in shock. I was jarred that first day seeing parents hug their children, and first responders talk about the events. Then day #2, how could you not get teary eyed seeing Danny Parmertor's mom and dad give one of the most compelling interviews I've ever seen in my entire life. They recounted the minute they got the call straight thru them yelling at Danny in the hospital to breathe, don't give up, and pull through. I can't even imagine.

I think we, I, was too close to this story. Hearing Sheriff McClelland talk about meeting his wife at Chardon High and just seeing his sad face in interviews. It began weighing me down. These are all people I've worked with for years. They are our contacts, many our friends.

As each day went by, some new astonishing development unveiled or we came upon even more riveting sound from Nick's mom or Demetrius's mother or someone who just pulled at your heart strings reminding you you're human. The Parmertor family continues sending us home movies to let the world see Danny's great smile!

The more information that flowed into the assignment desk, the more you got to know the victims: Danny Parmertor, Demetrius Hewlin, and Russell King. I will never, ever forget them. I never knew them but feel as if I do.


Toward the end of the week, it was evident that everyone in the newsroom had been affected by this tragedy. We oftentimes spend more time with our co-workers than our families. We have to continue to be there for each other. We need to supply that shoulder to cry on or, as happened in the editorial meeting Friday, someone said something funny and we all erupted into laughter which eventually turned into tears because we all just needed to let it out, whatever emotion.


The entire world is sending love to Chardon. There is a great picture circulating on facebook from a battalion in Afghanistan sending prayers to Chardon. A Chardon resident coming back from overseas went thru the checkpoint in Minnesota. When the TSA official saw where he was from, he offered his condolences and told him everyone is praying for Chardon, Ohio.


I truly believe everything happens for a reason --even tragedy. I may never know why something happens but I know for sure that out of tragedy and evil, so much more good blossoms. It's hard to look at this situation so soon and even begin to assess the good but it is there. Daily miracles continue from the events which happened the morning of February 27, 2012. From the Supt. telling everyone to hug your children, to the outpouring of love we've already seen, it is there.


As part of my healing, I put aside my Sunday 'to do' list and drove out to Chardon. It was quite emotional yet necessary for me to begin processing what happened. As I drove east on 322 toward Rte 44 I saw red ribbon after red ribbon tied on trees and poles. As I turned on Rte 44 I began seeing even more red and black ribbons & signs in peoples' yards. Burr Funeral home has a huge heart on the front. I really did not know what to expect when I arrived at the Gazebo. I was able to park right in front. Again, a very surreal moment. I prayed and placed 3 religious momentos at the growing memorial for Danny, Demetrius, and Russell. It's overwhelming to be in the midst of the Gazebo memorial. There was a steady flow of people the entire time I was there. 1 man from Elyria stopped me to ask if I was a local. We chatted. Yet another miracle bringing complete strangers together to pray over this awful happening.

Being on the square definitely helped my grieving process. It was not a morbid scene. On the contrary. The spiritual energy was amazing as I walked around reading the heartfelt notes watching people light the candles which had been blown out. The school across the street had hearts in every window. My next stop: Chardon High School. That was hard. The memorials at the school continue to grow. But hearing the 911 calls, the dispatch tapes, seeing the video from Monday of SWAT deployed and then to be standing at that very same spot was quite eerie for me.

It's a school in 'hometown America' with yellow buses parked in the back, a track and football field yet the visions that kept running through my head were students exiting the school, parents running up to the school, SWAT with guns drawn, and imagining the scene as it unfolded in the cafeteria as the alleged shooter struck those innocent 6 students.


I have no doubt that the residents of Chardon and everyone affected will rise from these ruins even stronger than before. Life must go on, though life has been changed forever.

Eventually, I, we all must get back to the normalcy of our jobs, but for me life has been altered as well. I wasn't expecting Mom to pass away when she did. After her death I grasped the mantra of living each day as your last because tomorrow may never come.

Sometimes we get so wrapped up in daily living, unnecessary worries, and really stupid, petty problems that we lose sight of living, we lose sight of loving, we just lose sight. God always reels us back somehow. Unfortunately, sometimes it takes a magnanimous tragedy of this caliber to reel us all back to hugging our children, loving our neighbor, and believing in our God.


God really does work in mysterious ways. 3 young men I've never met before will be a part of my life from here on out. Danny, Demetrius, and Russell, your heroic actions will be a beacon for me to follow for the rest of my life. Losing you has not and will not be in vain.

You will be with us, in our hearts forever.

I look forward to that day when I get the chance to meet you in Heaven, thank you in person for all you've done for me, and give you all the biggest hugs in the whole wide world!