Colby Community College students and faculty members participated in a 2013 Emergency Response Exercise organized by Candy Bryant, Thomas County Emergency Medical Services Education/Training Coordinator; and Josh Hunter, US Department of Homeland Security Agent. Bryant is a 2012 graduate of the criminal justice program at CCC. Hunter was a member of the 2005 criminal justice class.
“The goal of this exercise was to demonstrate to the students what it felt like to work a scene from initial report to transfer of care to a higher-level hospital in a real-time setting,” said Bryant.
Approximately 80 people were involved in this exercise which was a staged clandestine meth lab explosion. The event began a little after 7 p.m. when the Colby Police Department dispatcher reported unknown trouble and odd odors coming from a small house located at the Thomas County Fairgrounds. Colby Community College students portrayed various roles in the exercise. Keenan Williams (Kansas State Trooper), Chase Berg (City Police Officer), Gunnar Hays (Emergency Management), Kathy Brooks (Lead Investigator), Sean Jordan (Investigator), Roger Agnew (victim), Robert Monticule (victim), Amanda Duvall (victim), and Sarah Doughty (victim).
CCC Criminal Justice instructors Dr. Michael Thompson and Dr. Linda Davis-Stephens also assisted with the event.
Other college participants included 12 nursing students and instructors Shelly Rodenbeck and Shannon Plummer who set up an Emergency Room in the Health Sciences Building. CCC supervising dentist Dr. Jay Sekavec also assisted with the exercise. Colby College students Brett Lundberg and David Becker participated from the EMT class in addition to 10 EMT students from Thomas County. The Respiratory Therapy Program and EMT classes from Northwest Kansas Technical College were also involved.
“CCC students assumed their respective roles while the participant faculty or agency representative shadowed them,” said CCC Criminal Justice Instructor Michael Thompson. “The victims were moulaged to give them the appearance of meth addiction and various injuries that would be expected for this situation.”
Participating agencies included the Thomas County Emergency Medical Services, Thomas County Department of Emergency Management, Colby Police Department, Colby Fire Department, Kansas Highway Patrol, EagleMed and Citizens Medical Center. Thomas County Fairgrounds Manager Ron Kogler assisted with the exercise.
The event which included an explosion and victims with body burns concluded about 10:30 p.m. Students performed various duties including setting up a perimeter, doing triage, learning about the HazMat team, collecting evidence, learning patient assessment to prep for a flight transport, processing the scene, interviewing victims and witnesses and transporting patients to the emergency room.
Students, faculty and participants met for debriefing afterward. Thomas County EMS distributed t-shirts to commemorate the event.
“This was a massive event designed to give students in each of the programs an opportunity to engage in their chosen profession and to see how things work in the field and how fast things get out of hand and chaos can ensure,” said Thompson. “Several of the law enforcement, EMS and other participants are former CCC criminal justice students.”

Contact: Dr. Michael Thompson
Criminal Justice Instructor
(785) 460-5530
Michael.thompson@colbycc.edu