August 1, 2025: On Thursday, July 17, a large-scale training exercise was held just south of Staples to prepare local emergency personnel for response to a potential mass casualty incident (MCI). The training was a coordinated effort between Lakewood Health System’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) team, the Staples Fire Department, and the Staples Police Department.
The simulated scenario involved a two-vehicle accident at the intersection of Highway 210 and County Road 7, with multiple volunteer participants acting as victims suffering from a range of injuries. The drill tested the ability of first responders to assess, triage, and manage care in a chaotic, high-pressure environment.
This kind of training is critical to ensuring those responsible for responding to real-life emergency situations are ready to do so quickly and effectively. It allows each team to practice their communication, coordination, and decision-making not only within their team, but across departments. It’s especially valuable for newer team members who haven’t experienced an incident of this scale, or worked directly with members of the other departments.
The exercise emphasized collaboration between fire, police, and EMS teams—each playing a vital role in ensuring scene safety, providing medical care, and managing traffic and logistics.
Lakewood Health System and its emergency partners are committed to community safety and preparedness, and plan to continue similar joint exercises in the future to strengthen response efforts.
