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American Morning
Simulated Crash at Chicago's Midway Airport Today
Aired May 15, 2003 - 05:08 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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: There's going to be a plane crash at Chicago's Midway Airport today. That's not a premonition. The simulated crash will be part of the ongoing Homeland Security Department's testing of U.S. preparedness in the event of a terrorist attack.
Our Jeanne Meserve takes a look at the drill.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Coughing and wheezing, 75 people descended on the Loyola University Medical Center, all of them actors portraying victims of a terrorist attack using pneumonic plague.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I need to get some additional nursing staff.
MESERVE: The staff scrambled in a test of the plans, procedures and personnel that would be used in a real mass casualty event. Beyond matters of coordination and staffing, the exercise, which is being monitored from, among other places, the Department of Health and Human Services' command center in Washington, will examine the ability of the health care system to handle large numbers of patients.
TOMMY THOMPSON, SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES: The question is asked of Chicago with over 2,000 individuals, on its way to 3,000, have the hospitals reached a capacity or are we still able to handle all the cases?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That capacity is clearly being diminished quickly.
MESERVE: Chicago has been preparing for the drill for about a year and as a result, experts say, the so-called surge capacity developed here is probably more robust than elsewhere.
MARGARET HAMBURG, NUCLEAR THREAT INITIATIVE: And the health care system is operating under very serious cost constraints, enormous pressures to downsize hospital beds, just in time purchasing of pharmaceuticals and medical materials, streamlining of personnel. And that's fine if you want to contain costs. It's a problem if you have to suddenly respond to large numbers of patients.
MESERVE: Top Off 2 will not answer all questions about the nation's readiness and even participants admit there's no way of knowing if your preparations are the right ones until you're confronted with a surprise attack and real patients, not fake ones.
Jean Meserve, CNN, Chicago.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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 15, 2003 - 05:08 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: There's going to be a plane crash at Chicago's Midway Airport today. That's not a premonition. The simulated crash will be part of the ongoing Homeland Security Department's testing of U.S. preparedness in the event of a terrorist attack.
Our Jeanne Meserve takes a look at the drill.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Coughing and wheezing, 75 people descended on the Loyola University Medical Center, all of them actors portraying victims of a terrorist attack using pneumonic plague.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I need to get some additional nursing staff.
MESERVE: The staff scrambled in a test of the plans, procedures and personnel that would be used in a real mass casualty event. Beyond matters of coordination and staffing, the exercise, which is being monitored from, among other places, the Department of Health and Human Services' command center in Washington, will examine the ability of the health care system to handle large numbers of patients.
TOMMY THOMPSON, SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES: The question is asked of Chicago with over 2,000 individuals, on its way to 3,000, have the hospitals reached a capacity or are we still able to handle all the cases?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That capacity is clearly being diminished quickly.
MESERVE: Chicago has been preparing for the drill for about a year and as a result, experts say, the so-called surge capacity developed here is probably more robust than elsewhere.
MARGARET HAMBURG, NUCLEAR THREAT INITIATIVE: And the health care system is operating under very serious cost constraints, enormous pressures to downsize hospital beds, just in time purchasing of pharmaceuticals and medical materials, streamlining of personnel. And that's fine if you want to contain costs. It's a problem if you have to suddenly respond to large numbers of patients.
MESERVE: Top Off 2 will not answer all questions about the nation's readiness and even participants admit there's no way of knowing if your preparations are the right ones until you're confronted with a surprise attack and real patients, not fake ones.
Jean Meserve, CNN, Chicago.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
