Photog Philosophy - Emergency Bomb Drill

My assignment today was to go with a reporter to check out an all-day fake mass casualty incident at the Buchanan-Verplanck Elementary School in Buchanan, NY.
(excerpted from the Journal News - http://www.nyjournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070506/NEWS02/70506...)

The exercise in emergency preparedness had a cast of hundreds - where survivors were "bleeding," temporarily "deaf" or had "broken limbs from a mock bomb blast. More than a hundred of whom played dead or hurt.

Coming to their aid were three police and four fire departments, eight EMS units, amateur radio operators, Buchanan and Cortlandt public employees, and more than a dozen planners and observers.

The Buchanan Chief and a handful of other top emergency response officials conjured up the fake bomb that went off during a fake concert in what usually is the school's auditorium, but was turned into The Town of Cortlandt concert hall.

Aside from the initial mock bomb blast, there were two other small mock pipe bombs that the bomb squad got, the explosives were not real, but the response was supposed to be.

The full-scale exercise was conducted in compliance with the Department of Homeland Security's national incident management system.

This version of the story did not air on News 12 Westchester..... This is the "Nat Pak" version that is featured on my 2007 demotape as an example of news storytelling with pictures and sounds instead of storytelling with a reporter's face and voice.....I still like working with reporters though...

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Cortlandt
• Volunteer
• Ambulance
• Corps
• mock
• blast
• Buchanan-Verplanck
• Elementary
• School
• fake
• mass
• casualty
• bomb
• news

[darksniper991]

that was soooooo fake!!!!!

[dvproducer]

@darksniper991

Of course it's fake!! Notice the word "Drill" in the title of this video. The entire thing was a drill.....just practice so the emergency teams can be ready and experienced in case the unthinkable ever happens. Thanks for watching.

[Eiks12]

hey as one of the"victms" this video was good

[dvproducer]

@Eiks12 - Thanks! I could not have done it without your participation! Thanks for watching!

[natesrepublic]

imagine ur a parent driving by and not informed that this is a drill XD

[RickyRocker821]

wish they do this in my school!

[dvproducer]

@EpicPrankOfTheWeek

That drill was an amazing shoot. Glad I was there to capture it!! Give a shout out to emt8837 and tarpon64 for me!! Thanks for watching the video!!

[lad887]

kempter and whisker r my heroes

[Hickeydog2365]

I've taken part in these before. I had a massive chest wound and I was, quite literally, covered in blood. I felt bad for the firemen who had to carry me out....I'm 6'4" and about 280. I survived. Barely. But if you get the chance, these things are quite the learning experience. Awesome video..

[dvproducer]

So umm.....you wanna do a movie? And you'll be in it for free? Tell me more, please....