City tests its disaster response capability
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WINNIPEG - October 12, 2005 - The City of Winnipeg is putting its emergency preparedness capabilities to the test today in a mock exercise designed to prepare both first responders and City leaders for a real event.
Titled “Exercise Excell”, the mock accident is designed to test all levels of the system, from the Mayor’s office, the Chief Administrative Officer, the operations staff in the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), and emergency response teams.
“Our employees - firefighters, paramedics and police - are often the citizens’ first line of defence in serious emergencies. We have the people with the necessary training, equipment and organization, to intervene in major situations such as the one imagined for today,” said Mayor Sam Katz. “They need to stay sharp, and I look forward to seeing how our operations perform in an exercise of this magnitude.”
The mock incident, which got underway at 8:00 a.m., involves a cement truck colliding with a west bound freight train at the Kenaston road crossing causing a derailment of 13 rail cars some of which contain chlorine gas which leaks out, and some containing propane gas which is contained within the derailed rail cars. Under the scenario, both the cement truck with its driver and a smaller vehicle with three people on board are dragged by the train for 60 meters before the train comes to a stop. There is a long line up of cars including a school bus that were in line waiting for the train to pass.
The exercise unfolds very rapidly as citizens in the neighbourhood need to be warned of the dangers of the leaking chlorine gas and first responders attempt to attend to those involved in the accident while being concerned for their own safety and the safety of those in the area from the potentially dangerous chemicals.
The city’s Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) at City Hall is activated and all participants are expected to rehearse response plans as though it were a real emergency. The exercise is designed to test teamwork, decision making, communication and the management of information under a high stress environment.
“It’s a fact of life that at some time a big city is going to have to respond to some type of disaster”, said Annitta L. Stenning, CAO. “The better practiced we are, the better prepared we will be to respond rapidly and effectively to minimize danger and to save lives.”
Following the exercise, the City’s Emergency Control Committee will meet to evaluate and review lessons learned from the exercise.
Key players in the mock exercise included: City Departments, CN Rail, Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, Manitoba Hydro, the Salvation Army, Provincial EMO, Amateur Radio Emergency Services, and volunteer students from Canadian Mennonite University who roll played injuries on the school bus.
Last update: 30.09.2008
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