Operation Rolling Chaos 2013
Operation Rolling Chaos aimed to test the response of emergency medical services (EMS) providers and agencies in a disaster scenario and suggest possible improvements for disaster response in regard to communication and coordination between varying EMS providers and agencies.
Operation Rolling Chaos centered on the breaking of the Anderson Dam near Morgan Hill, CA.
In a 2009 study, the Santa Clara Valley Water District concluded that the Anderson Dam may break if an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.6 or larger was to hit within a mile radius. It has been projected that once the dam breaks, a 35-foot wall of water will engulf downtown Morgan Hill and its surrounding areas.
To mimic this large scale disaster, Operation Rolling Chaos commissioned the use of 12 cars, 2 buses, 8 ambulances, 4 military Humvees, 3 military transport trucks, and 3 helicopters. Hundreds of participants ranging from injured motorists to EMS personnel participated in the scenario. To recreate the complexity of treatment needed during a large-scale disaster, motorist injuries ranged from minor to life-threatening, and included treatment protocol with transportation from the disaster zone to a casualty collection point, then onto ambulances, and finally into the simulation hospital, where appropriate care was rendered.