This is only a test, not a real emergency.
Northeast Community College will be the site for a mock disaster exercise on Tuesday, August 26, that involves many sectors of the community.
Along with Northeast, the communitywide effort will include Faith Regional Health Services, Norfolk Fire and Rescue, Madison Rescue, Hoskins-Woodland Park Rescue, Madison County Sheriff, Norfolk Dispatch, Norfolk Police Department (if an officer is available), and others, including media.
The mock disaster exercise will have a realistic bus crash scenario that helps to train emergency responders and medical teams, along with college officials and other disaster response personnel. There will be fake victims, along with some members of the public and others taking part.
For the media, here is the schedule:
Media Schedule:
- 7:45–8 a.m.: Arrive at the crash site to capture B-roll and conduct interviews with bystanders. Please avoid engaging with police and first responders during this time. Follow directions from law enforcement — they may not allow you into the space once the exercise starts to interview those participants.
- 8:45 a.m.: Head to the Doc Surber Room in the LLC for a walkthrough of what a Joint Information Center might look like during an event like this.
- 9:30 a.m.: Participate in a mock media briefing.
Faith Regional typically has at least one of these mock disaster exercises every year. Northeast agreed to be part of this year's exercise, including hosting it.
Melanie Thompson, director of Risk Management for Northeast, said the situation could be chaotic, but most emergency situations are as well.
“There are always last-minute changes to the plans, and then the actual exercise can also add some elements of surprise depending upon how the exercise evolves as it unfolds,” Thompson said.
The schedule for August 26 includes activities at the “crash site” on campus, Emergency Operations Center activations across the city, a Joint Information Center established, and a media briefing conducted at the Lifelong Learning Center.
The training exercise is being communicated with signage, social media, electronic signs and by traditional media.
Norfolk Campus Map FSE
The mock Full Scale Exercise will take place at Northeast Community College in the eastern part of the college, identified in the yellow oval area of the parking lot.
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