BRODHEAD - Green County Emergency Management is holding its first full-scale exercise since 2006 this weekend.
The City of Brodhead will host the mock emergency from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5.
"What it's going to involve is a large-scale auto accident with multiple victims," said Chief of Police Tom Moczynski. Hazardous materials will also be involved in the scenario.
Just like in a real emergency, firefighters, police and medics won't know exactly what to expect until they arrive at the exercise scene in the 2100 block of East 3rd Avenue, behind the McDonald's in Brodhead. Traffic will be blocked on East 3rd Avenue from the 1900 to the 2500 block.
The exercise will demonstrate the area's multi-jurisdictional, interagency response to a mass-casualty incident. The exercise, required by Homeland Security, is designed to prepare emergency responders and those in the community for their roles and responsibilities.
The last time Green County coordinated a large-scale exercise of this kind was in 2006 at Monticello High School, according to Emergency Management director Tanna McKeon. That scenario involved an accident in a chemistry room, causing mass casualties.
Typically, full-scale exercises are mandated every four years as part of a process that takes the exercise from table-top discussion to acted-out scenario.
McKeon received a $14,500 grant from Wisconsin Emergency Management to contract with Pre-Emergency Planning, LLC to help Green County with the behind-the-scenes documentation and planning for Saturday's exercise.
"The reports that have to be written are quite intensive," she said. Once complete, reports are forwarded to Homeland Security for review.
- Katjusa Cisar
The City of Brodhead will host the mock emergency from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5.
"What it's going to involve is a large-scale auto accident with multiple victims," said Chief of Police Tom Moczynski. Hazardous materials will also be involved in the scenario.
Just like in a real emergency, firefighters, police and medics won't know exactly what to expect until they arrive at the exercise scene in the 2100 block of East 3rd Avenue, behind the McDonald's in Brodhead. Traffic will be blocked on East 3rd Avenue from the 1900 to the 2500 block.
The exercise will demonstrate the area's multi-jurisdictional, interagency response to a mass-casualty incident. The exercise, required by Homeland Security, is designed to prepare emergency responders and those in the community for their roles and responsibilities.
The last time Green County coordinated a large-scale exercise of this kind was in 2006 at Monticello High School, according to Emergency Management director Tanna McKeon. That scenario involved an accident in a chemistry room, causing mass casualties.
Typically, full-scale exercises are mandated every four years as part of a process that takes the exercise from table-top discussion to acted-out scenario.
McKeon received a $14,500 grant from Wisconsin Emergency Management to contract with Pre-Emergency Planning, LLC to help Green County with the behind-the-scenes documentation and planning for Saturday's exercise.
"The reports that have to be written are quite intensive," she said. Once complete, reports are forwarded to Homeland Security for review.
- Katjusa Cisar