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Exercise teaches preparedness
Emergency workers across region learn from simulation By George Diepenbrock
gdiepenbrock@ljworld.com
Steven Hausler/AP Photo
Several Lawrence firefighters Tuesday morning approached a group of four men who were feeling ill in a vehicle just outside St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church in west Lawrence. A dispatcher also warned the firefighters, who wore protective gloves, that two Topeka hospitals that morning had also seen several patients who exhibited flu-like symptoms. As the Lawrence firefighters began conducting interviews, they learned the men in the vehicle had come the night before from Topeka, where they attended a political rally near the Statehouse. As the connection to a more widespread health issue became a possibility and the men’s conditions worsened, crews began to take a more cautious approach. “Then this triggers a different type of response,” said Lawrence Fire Chief Mark Bradford, who observed the exercise and recorded it on an iPad. The firefighters then used a fire hose on a very low setting to hose down the men as a precaution before they took them to Lawrence Memorial Hospital. The firefighters also decontaminated themselves later with Richard Gwin/Journal-World Photo the hose. Several Douglas Coun- ENGINEER JOSH TAYLOR WITH LAWRENCE-DOUGLAS COUNTY FIRE MEDICAL sprays volunteer ty agencies and LMH on Truman Waugh, a “victim” of a simulated hazardous materials accident, during a training Tuesday participated in session Tuesday at St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church, 5700 W. Sixth St. See video of the Please see REGIONAL, page 2A training exercise at LJWorld.com.
A COW LOOKS FOR something to eat in a dry pasture earlier this month southwest of Hays. The nation’s widest drought in decades is spreading as triple-digit temperatures persist.
Kansans cautioned as heat wave pounds state By John Milburn Associated Press
TOPEKA — Kansas health officials warned residents Tuesday to stay hydrated and limit their exposure to the heat as temperatures hit 100 degrees or higher during the next several days. Three people have died from heat-related illnesses already this year, and more than 240 have become ill, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. An excessive heat warning has been issued for the Lawrence area beginning at noon today and expiring at 8 p.m. Saturday. Along with extreme heat, the forecast calls for recent modest winds to dissipate by week’s end, increasing concerns about air quality. Doug Watson, meteorologist for KDHE’s air quality department, said cloud cover and winds limit the production of ozone, which can be dangerous for residents with asthma and other respiratory conditions. “Mostly the folks with pre-existing conditions it affects the most,” he said. “But at Please see HEAT, page 2A
KU seeks funds for medical ed building, new drug discoveries By Scott Rothschild srothschild@ljworld.com
TOPEKA — Kansas University officials on Tuesday provided details about two major initiatives, but couldn’t say which was the school’s top priority when seeking funds from the Legislature and Gov. Sam Brownback. “Is this No. 1?” asked Kansas Board of Regents Chairman Tim Emert after KU outlined its
proposal for creation of a new institute focused on the development of new drugs. “This is one of them,” Provost Jeff Vitter said. The board was hearing from regents universities on their enhanced budget proposals. Emert said that if the schools and regents don’t prioritize the budget requests, “someone else is going to prioritize for us.” The regents plan to work more on the budget requests
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during their retreat next month, and then will submit a higher education funding proposal in September. KU’s two major requests are
crucial, school officials said. One is a $2.5-million-per-year appropriation to support what would be called the Kansas Institute for Translational Chemical Biology. The institute would combine the work of pharmacists, biologists, chemists and engineers to discover, develop and commercialize new drugs and disease treatments, Vitter said. “It is a key part of our strategic plan, promoting well-being
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With the new building, the School of Medicine has proposed increasing the class size of its current Kansas City campus by 50 students, from 175 to 225.
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and finding cures,” Vitter said. He said the effort would solidify KU’s high-ranking pharmaceutical school, help maintain the school’s membership in the Association of American Universities and increase the number of companies partnering with KU. Regent Kenny Wilk suggested that KU add more detail to the proposal. “Give us a vision Please see UNIVERSITY, page 2A
Free bus rides Thursday Worried about where to park for Thursday’s annual Downtown Lawrence Sidewalk Sale? Just leave your car at home and take a free bus downtown. Page 3A
Vol.154/No.200 26 pages