FERRIDAY &045; The federal agents sent to review the preparedness of 48 Concordia Parish radiological reception center volunteers had nothing but good comments at the end of the exercise Tuesday night.

&uot;I have nothing whatsoever uncomplimentary to say,&uot; said Carl McCoy, a Federal Emergency Management Agency evaluator. &uot;What I did find evidence of was a lot of training and rehearsals.&uot;

Every six years the parish has to participate in a simulated evacuation of Tensas Parish residents in the event of a radiological release from Grand Gulf Nuclear Station.

The Concordia Parish office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security is responsible for coordinating the event. Volunteers from area hospitals, law enforcement agencies and community groups went through two weeks of training sessions and a practice walk-through to get ready for Tuesday night’s simulation.

Ferriday High School’s gym was the designated reception center. Once the drill started, volunteers screened vehicles and people for radiation. Those found with contamination were sent to a shower area to be decontaminated.

Those considered clean walked through a series of tables to register, receive medical help or find temporary shelter.

Candy Owens, a volunteer from the Concordia Parish Health Unit, said she could provide basic medical care on the scene.

&uot;We triage them, do first aid and check medicines,&uot; Owens said. &uot;If this were the real thing we’d have an ambulance here and we’d ship them out Riverland if necessary.&uot;

Three evaluators, including McCoy, checked everything going on inside and outside.

&uot;I think you are in good shape,&uot; McCoy said. &uot;It’s always a pleasure to evaluate a group of people that’s well prepared. You all work as a team and are mutually supportive.&uot;

The parish team has to pass the evaluator’s review, or retrain and repeat the process.

Parish Emergency Management and Homeland Security Director Morris White said he thought things went well during the simulation.

&uot;You are the kind of people this country’s backbone has rested upon,&uot; he told his volunteers after the event.

Though only six people were tested Tuesday, White said the same procedure would be in place for larger crowds and would effectively check 800 an hour. Three shifts of volunteers were in place Tuesday, and in the case of a real disaster they could be spread over several parish schools to check maximum numbers.

Many of the volunteers have been involved in the reception center for multiple years and consider it a part of their duty as a citizen.

&uot;It’s a community thing,&uot; Metro Rural Services Manager Bob Purvis said. &uot;It’s more a drill that pulls the parish together as a team in case of a disaster.&uot;

Margaret Mohan of the Concordia Parish Correctional Facility said the experience offered something for her too.

&uot;You learn,&uot; she said. &uot;You can’t ever learn enough.&uot;