It was gory. People were screaming. The scene was a mock airplane crash disaster drill at Lumberton Correctional Institution on November 9. The Department of Correction facility conducts annual medical drills, but this was the first to involve outside agencies. About 100 first responders representing highway patrol, sheriff’s departments, fire, rescue, the Red Cross and other agencies participated in the event.
The airplane crash scenario was chosen because of the prison’s proximity to the Lumberton airport just a couple of miles away. As one would expect, the prison’s security measures were on high alert.
Inmates created props for the exercise and medical staff created other effects to make the injuries appear real.Lumberton administrator Sandra Thomas said the exercise was conducted without a flaw and proved extremely valuable not only to the prison staff but to agencies involved.
