In the Borgess-Lee Memorial Hospital emergency room, which remained operable after the “tornado”raked other parts of the facility, Gary Worley checks out one of the 10 “victims.” Medical personnel were so focused and professional, it was easy for observers to forget they were watching a disaster simulation. (The Daily News/John Eby)

By JOHN EBY

Dowagiac Daily News

Borgess-Lee Memorial Hospital, Dowagiac Fire and Police Departments, Cass County Emergency Command Center and other emergency-related partners collaborated on an early-morning emergency management disaster drill Wednesday.

The exercise, which could have been called tornado touches down and tears up the town, evaluates city and hospital preparedness in responding to an imagined twister slamming Dowagiac and causing significant damage, including the hospital itself and City Hall, where City Treasurer Robin Coffey played one of the “injured.”

“From the city’s perspective,” Assistant City Manager Rozanne Scherr said in the media room established at Donald Lyons Health Center, “Tom Atkinson notified Kevin once he received word there was significant damage.”

That was about 7 a.m. Atkinson, who oversees police and firefighters as Department of Public Safety director, alerted City Manager Kevin Anderson, who in turn contacted Scherr so she could mobilize Dial-a-Ride drivers for back-up shuttle transportation during the test of the incident command system and evacuation procedures.

“All departments have been activated,” she reported. “DPS should be playing a major role in this,” and by that Scherr meant the Department of Public Services, since there are power outages, streets to clear and issues at the wastewater treatment plant.

The city EOC, or emergency operations center, normally sets up at City Hall, so it being damaged enough to be open to the elements means shifting communications to the fire station on Wolf Street and establishing a TOC, or tactical operations center.

Joining her in the media room was Jim Rohrback, PIO, or public information officer, for Borgess.

“If this were real, she and I would be coordinating information we feed,” Rohrback said.

“Updates on what’s going on with victims, where they’re moving them after the initial thing’s over. I’d be on this phone a lot.”

Simulated structural damage to the hospital requires relocating patients within the facility and away from the facility by a combination of DART buses and Coloma EMS/Pride ambulances to Borgess Medical Center, with The Timbers designated as a “surge site” as needed.

The Wolverine Building administrative headquarters of Dowagiac Union Schools, the former doughnut shop that will be a Cass County Council on Aging senior center, 103-105 Main St. (until recently Dowagiac Glass and the medical offices that were demolished) and City Clerk Jim Snow’s house at 307 Pennsylvania Ave. were toned out as locations with unknown damage.

The wastewater treatment plant on M-62 West was without power. Various areas throughout the community experienced loss or disruption of traffic signals, electric, land lines and cell phones and sewer service.

The city building and zoning department gets involved with damage assessment. Within the hospital the scope of considerations exceeds treating the wounded to such things as securing the drug supply.

Once the all clear was declared shortly before 8:30, the process of evaluating the response could begin.

In addition to writing summations by Sept. 24, there will be a “post-exercise” debriefing Wednesday, Sept. 29, at 10 a.m. in the Dowagiac City Council chamber on the second floor of City Hall. It was still dark as night when the exercise actually began taking shape.

At 6 a.m. Firefighter Bill Nelson was to report to the hospital to establish a “moulage” area to make up “victims.”

The script called for Deputy Fire Chief Dale Hutchings to call Cass County E-911 Central Dispatch at 6:45 to dispatch Dowagiac firefighters and Coloma EMS and to announce a “drill only tornado warning in effect.”

In the quarter hour before 7, Fire Department resources were staging.

As it got light, the High Street hill was lined with emergency vehicles. Wayne and Indian Lake firefighters were observed taking part.

As victims got into place at 7, Ladder 2-40 notified the TOC of “heavy winds, no visibility and flying debris” near its location, Woodhouse Drive at Pokagon Street by the industrial park.

The TOC radios back at 7:05 reports of structural damage to the Pamida store.

It’s roof blew off, but there are no injuries significant enough to warrant treatment.

At 7:10, Steve Forkner was to call in structural damage — particularly hard hit was the south side of the damage — with unknown injuries.

Police report City Hall’s damage to 911.

Central Dispatch in turn notifies Atkinson.

Atkinson contacts the city manager, who is out of town, as is the mayor.

With the mayor and council informed, Anderson relays department head assignments as deemed appropriate to Building Official James Bradford, DPS Director Christopher Bolt; Mitch Billingham, Information Technology; Finance Director David Pilot, financial consultation; and Downtown Development Authority/Chamber of Commerce Program Director Vickie Phillipson, to poll downtown merchants about issues to report to the TOC.

The twister wrecks the roof of the old KFC buiding just north of City Hall. Gas and electric utilities are disconnected as a precaution.

Snow’s residence escapes with minor roof and window damage, its electric service torn away.

Power lines go down across the area.

There is a casualty where the glass shop and doctor’s office stood.

Bolt is advised by Anderson that an F3 tornado struck the town. Bolt assigns executive secretary Carrie Runyon to support at the fire station.

Debris chokes M-51 and Division Street and obstructs the emergency entrance of Borgess-Lee, which is powered only by generator.

As the magnitude of damage to the 1997 City Hall becomes known, there is a “gaping hole” in the roof and windows were blown out of the upstairs conference room.

“The building is taking in water due to torrential rain. Building is unsecured due to window and door damage. Bricks are falling on the front sidewalk.”

In addition to windows blasted out of the Wolverine Building, a wire arcs on the roof.

The traffic light is dark at Front and Division streets.

So is the signal at Spruce Street and M-62.

Sewer lift station 7 (Chestnut Street), 8 (Michigan Avenue) and 11 (E. High Street and Wilbur Hill Road) are reported out.

A generator fails at Indian Lake.

A temporary cell phone tower is summoned.