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CNN Live Today

This is Only a Test

Aired May 14, 2003 - 11:19   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, this next story is only a test, but the results will help determine how well prepared the country is to deal with real terrorist attacks. The first part of the massive terrorism drill dealt with a fake dirty bomb attack in Seattle. Now the focus is on a simulated bioterror attack in the Chicago area.
Our homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve joins us live. She is in Maywood, Illinois today.

Jeanne, good morning.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

Over 140 hospitals in Illinois participating in this simulated bioterrorism attack. Yesterday, actors portraying sick people began showing up at some of the hospitals in the area. The idea of all this is to test the plans and procedures that the hospitals have in place to deal with a mass casualty event.

We are at Loyola University Medical Center right now. And with me Dr. Mark Cichon, director of emergency medical services.

Thanks a lot for joining us.

So tell us where you are in this scenario right now.

MARK CICHON, EMS, LOYOLA UNIV. MED. CTR.: Currently in this scenario we've been playing for two full days, and this is going to be our third day. We're seeing patients coming in in larger numbers now, as you would typically see in an epidemiological outbreak.

MESERVE: How many do you have now?

CICHON: Currently, in the department, we're in the area of about nine. We've seen 27 come through so far. We're anticipating larger numbers today.

MESERVE: And do you have any dead?

CICHON: We've had several fatalities that have resulted as a result of the plague itself.

MESERVE: Now, has the hospital been able to deal with this?

CICHON: Our infrastructure is such that we've tested it, we've drilled constantly on it. To borrow the term from the military, you fight like you drill. And so far the fight is going well.

MESERVE: Have you learned any lessons?

CICHON: We've learned several very key, important lessons. Infrastructure, our command center is operating very well. The staff is working well while at the same time caring for routine patients, or real patients in the emergency department as well.

MESERVE: OK, Dr. Cichon from Loyola University Medical Center. I just want to point out to you, over here you see the sign for the Toppoff (ph) participants.

And down below this yellow tape, this is marking off areas of the hospital that they have theoretically made an isolation zone to deal with these patients, these patients that are coming in with simulated pneumonic plague.

Back to you, Daryn.

KAGAN: I guess in this case, we have to call them alleged patients.

MESERVE: That's right.

KAGAN: Alleged patients. Jeanne, thank you very much. Maywood, Illinois.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired May 14, 2003 - 11:19   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, this next story is only a test, but the results will help determine how well prepared the country is to deal with real terrorist attacks. The first part of the massive terrorism drill dealt with a fake dirty bomb attack in Seattle. Now the focus is on a simulated bioterror attack in the Chicago area.
Our homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve joins us live. She is in Maywood, Illinois today.

Jeanne, good morning.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

Over 140 hospitals in Illinois participating in this simulated bioterrorism attack. Yesterday, actors portraying sick people began showing up at some of the hospitals in the area. The idea of all this is to test the plans and procedures that the hospitals have in place to deal with a mass casualty event.

We are at Loyola University Medical Center right now. And with me Dr. Mark Cichon, director of emergency medical services.

Thanks a lot for joining us.

So tell us where you are in this scenario right now.

MARK CICHON, EMS, LOYOLA UNIV. MED. CTR.: Currently in this scenario we've been playing for two full days, and this is going to be our third day. We're seeing patients coming in in larger numbers now, as you would typically see in an epidemiological outbreak.

MESERVE: How many do you have now?

CICHON: Currently, in the department, we're in the area of about nine. We've seen 27 come through so far. We're anticipating larger numbers today.

MESERVE: And do you have any dead?

CICHON: We've had several fatalities that have resulted as a result of the plague itself.

MESERVE: Now, has the hospital been able to deal with this?

CICHON: Our infrastructure is such that we've tested it, we've drilled constantly on it. To borrow the term from the military, you fight like you drill. And so far the fight is going well.

MESERVE: Have you learned any lessons?

CICHON: We've learned several very key, important lessons. Infrastructure, our command center is operating very well. The staff is working well while at the same time caring for routine patients, or real patients in the emergency department as well.

MESERVE: OK, Dr. Cichon from Loyola University Medical Center. I just want to point out to you, over here you see the sign for the Toppoff (ph) participants.

And down below this yellow tape, this is marking off areas of the hospital that they have theoretically made an isolation zone to deal with these patients, these patients that are coming in with simulated pneumonic plague.

Back to you, Daryn.

KAGAN: I guess in this case, we have to call them alleged patients.

MESERVE: That's right.

KAGAN: Alleged patients. Jeanne, thank you very much. Maywood, Illinois.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com