So I had a very interesting day today. I got to pretend to be a victim of a terrorist attack for a drill. Basically they asked our team to act as victims so that they could test their readiness for an attack.

The premise of the attack was that a car bomb exploded near a radioactive tank. There were two wrecked cars, and a smoke machine inside the tank spraying us with “radioactivity.” We each had a role to play. Some of us were covered in fake blood and guts and put into the cars. Others were lying dead. I got to have “severe anxiety,” which meant that I got to pester the workers and fake cry and hyperventilate.

You may be wondering…are we prepared for an attack???

HECK NO!

It took them 2 hours to respond to the “attack” meanwhile while we were laying there waiting, they were setting us up so that it would look the best on camera. Mostly this was just a showing for the news. Then, once they got there, they didn’t treat the critically injured patients first, my teammate “having a diabetic emergency” was left passed out on the street, and they forced my teammate who “couldn’t breathe” to walk by herself to the nearest station They made another teammate who was a spinal victim move himself from the car…the list goes on.

Hopefully if there is a disaster it won’t happen anywhere near Charleston. Apparently I am a good fake crier because I got complemented on my acting abilty…even though the moment I turned my head I would crack up because the whole thing was ridiculous.

Another thing that makes me feel safe is that one of the “victims” was “strapped” with a bomb and they never discovered it…

So now, Meredith—who is stilll covered in blood and whose brains seems to be spilling out—is lying in front of the galley to freak everyone out…at least some good things come from mock terrorist attacks…

Anyway, the good news is that I found out where my next project is…the bad news is that it is back down in cursed Florida…but at least we are rebuilding houses destroyed in Wilma and working with another team, even though we don’t know who yet!

Well I’m off to watch Meredith!

I am home the 21st!

Love,

Alena