CHICAGO — Chicago’s suburban hospitals are preparing for a worst-case scenario during next month’s NATO summit.
At least 10 Chicago hospitals performed drills this week, including Evanston Hospital, simulating a radioactive dirty bomb explosion.
“We want to make sure that, as we’re getting close to the NATO Summit, that our staff are ready and trained and able to take care of our community,” NorthShore University HealthSystem’s Brigham Temple said.
The “victims” were volunteers from the US Navy’s Great Lakes training center.
An estimated 500 medical professionals and other volunteers donned bulky protective suits, tested radiation detectors and ministered to about 100 US Navy recruits Wednesday.
They were posing as victims of a so-called “dirty bomb” that had exploded, leaving them with deadly radioactive cesium on their skin. Doctors and nurses would risk their own lives if they began treating the wounded before they are cleansed of radiation.
Temple said Wednesday’s dirty bomb scenario had been worked out in conjunction with the Secret Service and the federal Department of Homeland Security.
US authorities are preparing in the days ahead to deploy black-suited federal agents in and around federal buildings downtown.
“If something does happen, God forbid, we’ll be ready to do something about it,” doctor Michael George said.
While federal officials say there is no specific, credible threat of an attack inside the United States, they did warn Thursday that a so-called “lone wolf” terrorist might try to mark the first anniversary of the killing of Usama bin Laden next week. That anniversary comes on May 2.
Among the leaders expected to attend the NATO summit from May 21-22 are President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister David Cameron, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, French President Nicholas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
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