Montgomery County Disaster Drill

Since September 11, 2001 the Public Safety Community (Fire, Police and Emergency Medical Services) has trained to prepare for the worst and strive for the best possible outcome for all incidents. To this end, once every three years, the Eastern Montgomery County Emergency Management Group plans and executes a “disaster” exercise to help area municipalities and emergency responders prepare for large scale incidents and evaluate ways to improve performance. Groups involved in the training include police departments with SWAT and MERT teams; fire departments with hazmat operations; search and rescue teams; municipalities’ public works departments; area hospitals emergency departments and emergency response teams; the county dispatch center and mobile operations; emergency medical services and the American Red Cross.

This year’s exercise, a weather related event, is planned for the morning of Sunday, October 18, 2009 at various locations across eastern Montgomery county. In order to help us successfully be able to drill, we are asking for help from the community in the form of adult volunteer “victims”. Volunteers are needed at several locations and at various levels, ranging from becoming a “true victim” in make-up and playing a role to simply arriving via their personal vehicle at a Red Cross Shelter. Of course the extent to which you participate is up to you. Please consider helping us to be better prepared for an event we all hope will never occur.

If this sounds like something of interest, please contact Jamie Haddon via e-mail at Jamie.Haddon@main.sars.org or by calling Jamie at (215) 659-1885 ext 116.