Floyd County, Ind., Conducts Preparedness Exercise

(TNS) – In order to be ready for the next full-scale emergency event, the Local Emergency Planning Committee conducted its annual functional exercise to ensure they’re prepared.

Individuals from several local agencies participated in and watched the Floyd Council Tabletop Exercise on Wednesday at the Pine View Government Center in New Albany.

The Shelbyville, Kentucky -based Industrial Safety & Training Services was contracted to facilitate the training. The LEPC pays for the exercise through a grant.

Kent Barrow , the Floyd County Emergency Management Agency director, said the point of the exercise is to test the county’s Emergency Operation Center.

Outside was a mobile command center where the first responders were stationed to simulate being on scene of the accident and to communicate to those inside working in the EOC.

The goal of the EOC is to take the load off of the dispatch center to communicate with first responders and other agencies to solve large-scale events.

“We’re working from the scene and trying to figure out the best resolution to get things back to normal,” Barrow said

The scenario is based off an actual event that occurred on Interstate 265 in the form of a semi truck accident in which a truck that was carrying 8,500 gallons of methyl chloroformate overturned on the road.

Barrow said these exercises typically have to do with some type of hazmat situation.

He said they invited all local departments including fire, police and the sheriff’s department. The Salvation Army and the Red Cross also attended.

Barrow said that there are gaps and challenges that need to be addressed by the EOC including communication, and the exercise helps to determine how and what needs to be improved.

“We want to figure out how we can improve on those and close those gaps,” Barrow said.

Gary Yurt, president of ISTS, said they’ve operated the business for around 15 years.

Yurt said before the start of the exercise that technology has made a big difference in terms of making emergency response more efficient.

He also said that he wanted those attending the exercise to network with each other as well.

He said Floyd County has done a good job coming together and working to provide the best emergency response in the community.

“I don’t think the community knows just how much effort they put into training,” Yurt said.

___

©2024 The Evening News and The Tribune (Jeffersonville, Ind.)
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.