No one likes to think about worst case scenarios, but for upper tier municipalities, it’s a requirement.
Every year municipalities are required to hold an emergency exercise to prepare for any kind of emergency they could potentially deal with.
Northumberland County is taking this year’s exercise across boundary lines and will include the Municipality of Brighton, Hastings County, Cramahe Township and even Quinte West.
Emergency Planning Associate for Northumberland County Lori Latendresse says this year’s exercise will focus on an industrial accident that occurs in Brighton’s Industrial Park.
The exercise will allow the staff at Premier Tech to run through their emergency procedures and allow area firefighters, paramedics and the Emergency Management Groups to react accordingly.
There will also be approximately 150 volunteers who will fill the roles of “victims” to help make the training exercise as realistic as possible.
This exercise will also include 11 sites being used as emergency shelters including Batawa’s Community Centre.
According to Latendresse, this exercise has been in the works for about two years, with a tabletop version taking place last year.
Trenton Memorial Hospital is also involved according to Hastings County Emergency Planning Coordinator Leanne Latter.
The exercise is set for October 3 and will begin around 8 a.m. wrapping up by mid-afternoon.
