Disaster drill set for Saturday

The Daily Inter Lake

On Saturday morning, U.S. 2 near the Flathead/Lincoln county line will be the scene of a mock disaster.

The event is organized by the Marion Rural Fire Department to benefit emergency services from Kalispell to Libby by establishing a protocol for departments to follow during mass-casualty incidents.

The scenario involves a bus accident with about 45 victims.

According to the Marion department, the U.S. 2 corridor between Kalispell and Libby has had steadily increasing traffic that includes transportation of hazardous materials. Wildfires and plane crashes are also on the list of concerns.

Among the agencies participating in the training are the Fisher River Valley Fire Department, the Smith Valley Fire Department, the Cabinet View Fire Department, Marion Ambulance, Libby Ambulance, the Kalispell Fire Department, ALERT helicopter, the Montana Highway Patrol and the Montana Department of Transportation.

Private businesses, including a bus company, also will be involved. The public is invited to watch.

Call Assistant Chief Jeff Hardgrove at 854-2277 or the Fire Department at 854-2828.