TALLADEGA — A training exercise at Talladega’s Federal Correctional Institution Wednesday morning highlighted the need for improved communications both among prison staff and outside agencies, including the state bomb squad and Talladega Police and Firefighters.

The scenario that played out Wednesday involved a bomb threat called in about 6:45 a.m. in order to cover the escape of a prisoner. The first of a series of simulated explosions over the next two hours “injured” three prison employees. Since electronically triggered explosives can be set off by radio traffic, much of the prison’s communication network was shut down immediately.

A second simulated explosion, in the administration building, not only took out the prison’s computer network, but effectively took out the network for the entire region. A third bomb took out the C Building shortly afterward.

Talladega Fire Capt. Larry Vincent summed the problems up by saying “the problem was communication. We used runners, but there was some misinformation.”

Capt. Mark McKleroy, also of the Talladega Fire Department, added that when the call finally did come in, just under an hour after the initial explosion, the caller only said that a fire truck was needed at FCI, but did not say what for.

Those involved in the simulation said it is important for firefighters to know if they are responding to a bomb call, as was demonstrated later in the morning when three fire trucks were “destroyed,” along with two ambulances, after being parked in blast zones.

In the emergency preparedness exercise, Lt. Clay Barnes, leader of the Trooper bomb squad, emphasized the importance of designating teams to search areas they were familiar with, and said cell phones could usually be used safely and radios could receive safely while sweeping. He also said he was prevented from carrying all of his equipment into the compound.

During the exercise the prison doctor, Mark Holbrook, was able to attend to the three wounded, but an ambulance was not available for more than an hour after the first blast.

The prisoner involved in the escape exercise was off the premises by 7:30 a.m., but not missed until 10 a.m.

Others said that inmates had actually told some staff about the exercise.

Warden Constance Reese said, “In this scenario, I was cruising in the Bahamas. But our jobs, all the time, are to keep each other safe. There was no communication. The first bomb was at 7 a.m., and it was loud. If you didn’t hear the second bomb, then you should probably go to the house. You have to play it like you practice it. We are all responsible to each other. Find your spot…We have to take this seriously. And make sure that staff down is our first priority. Because I can guarantee you, the inmates were watching today, too.”