Local News
Related Photos
-
Chemical contamination “victim” Andrea Northcutt, right, was led to a decontamination tent outside Chuch on the Rock by Richmond firefighter Doug Thompson during last year’s Madison County mock disaster drill.
Tools
Planning in practice
Mock-scenario drill tests responders’ preparedness
A mock disaster scenario will be issued Wednesday to Madison County first responders who will put their emergency preparedness skills to the test.
The annual community-wide exercise will begin at 7:45 a.m. at Clark-Moores Middle School.
Madison County Emergency Management Agency/Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (EMA/CSEPP) personnel will be working with representatives from the Blue Grass Army Depot, Pattie A. Clay Regional Medical Center, The Madison County Health Department, Eastern Kentucky University and Madison County schools, as well as local law enforcement agencies and fire departments.
Sirens located at the depot and the EMA/CSEPP Emergency Operations Center will be sounded to launch the exercise.
“Each year we strive to improve our readiness to deal with possible emergencies in Madison County,” said Madison County EMA Director Carl Richards. “These annual exercises have been taking place since 1990, and put our personnel through their paces to practice the plans we have in place. The cooperation among agencies makes us all better at what we do.”
“This exercise is unique due to the almost total participation of emergency management participants, from the local county level up to the state Emergency Operations Center in Frankfort,” said Kelly McBride, spokesperson for the county EMA.
As in previous years, the agencies will respond to a fictitious chemical weapons accident at the depot.
The media tour will begin at the middle school where media will meet their escorts, receive a briefing about the scenario and have an opportunity to interview school officials.
The exercise itself is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. at the school, then travel to Pattie A. Clay Regional Medical Center at 9 a.m. to observe patient decontamination and treatment.
The tour will move to the Madison County EOC (Emergency Operations Center) at 9:45 a.m. and at 10:20 a.m., guests on the tour will travel to the Joint Information Center (JIC) next door.
There, observers will see the JIC in full operation as public affairs specialists relay information to members of the local media.
“Although the exercises are for basic CSEPP training, the benefits are for all participating responding agencies-the practice paid off when we activated our resources during the ice storm and tornado earlier this year,” Richards said.
Anyone who would like to participate in the annual exercise should call Dick Sloan at the Blue Grass Army Depot at (859) 779-6897.
Ronica Shannon can be reached at rshannon@richmondregister.com or 624-6608.
- Local News
-
- Hanging violence out to dry A powerful message will be strung across Eastern Kentucky University’s campus next week, and students are working hard to put a personal touch on the efforts.
- Closed hearing in RPD case conducted Thursday Madison Circuit Judge William G. Clouse conducted a closed-door hearing Thursday afternoon in the case of three Richmond police officers accused of influencing the statements of a witness.
- Two arrested in home invasion Wednesday Richmond police arrested two people following a violent home invasion Wednesday morning on Oldham Avenue.
- Berea a finalist for new plant Berea is one of three cities in the running for an industrial plant that would employ 100 to 200 people at wages comparable to that paid by employers already in the city’s industrial park, Tom McCay, Berea’s economic development director, told the city council Tuesday night.
- City likely to face $2.1 million deficit At the end of this fiscal year, the city of Richmond likely will face a $2.1 million deficit in its budget.
- Man publishes novel about ancestor who was slave in Madison County Larry Hamilton was a high school history teacher in Piqua, Ohio, in 1975, when he took a a group of students to hear a talk by Alex Haley, author of the best-selling book “Roots.”
- Berea College student accused of child abuse A grand jury will consider a first-degree criminal abuse charge against a Berea College student accused of injuring his 6-week-old daughter.
- Local soldiers leaving for war More than 100 members of the Army National Guard’s 2123rd Transportation Company unit, based in Richmond, will leave Fort Dix, N.J., later this month for a one-year tour of duty in Afghanistan.
- Man indicted in cross-dressing robberies A cross-dressing robber who allegedly struck businesses and a bank in Richmond, Berea and Danville was indicted Wednesday by a Madison County grand jury.
- Our Web site is experiencing technical difficulties, please check back later
- More Local News Headlines
