Tuesday, September 13, 2011

City of Quesnel to conduct emergency training exercise

From the City of Quesnel:

If you see several emergency vehicles and personnel in a field at the top of Dragon Lake Hill on the morning of Friday Sept. 23, don't be alarmed; it will be the City of Quesnel hosting an emergency training exercise, in partnership with a large number of stakeholders.


The Quesnel Regional Airport is regulated by Transport Canada and must conduct a full-scale emergency exercise once every five years to test the emergency response plan. The scenario will involve a downed aircraft at the top of Dragon Lake Hill near the FortisBC pumping station, and is scheduled to run from 9 a.m. to noon.

During that time, there will be a lot of radio communication; while there will be protocols in place to identify transmissions as being part of a training exercise, it is possible for individuals with scanners to become confused when listening in on those communications. The City wants to ensure that residents are not alarmed by the scenario.

There will be many emergency response vehicles at the scene on that day, as well as activation of the City's 
Emergency Operations Centre and Emergency Social Services functions. Again, passing motorists or nearby residents need not be alarmed. One small stretch of Racing Road between Ryan and Valhalla Roads will be closed for the morning.

Not only does the scenario provide a test of the emergency plan; it is a valuable training opportunity for emergency personnel, City staff and volunteers.

No comments: