Officials warn public disaster drill not real
Wanting to avoid an undue panic while at the same time preparing itself for a potential disaster, the city of McMinnville has announced it will conduct an emergency preparedness drill within the next 30 days.
“We won’t reveal the exact date or location because we want to ensure the realism of the event,” said McMinnville Police Captain Bryan Denton in a press release issued by the city about the upcoming drill.
The drill is designed to test local emergency resource capabilities under real-time situations should an actual disaster occur. The event will involve numerous agencies, with both city and county responders taking part in the drill alongside state agencies and local utilities.
In addition to having a staging ground at a non-specified location complete with simulated victims, the drill will also be making use of the airwaves as on-scene responders communicate situations to dispatchers and hospital personnel. It is those communications, which could be picked up by the public on police scanners, that authorities want people to be aware of so there is not a panic with some believing a real disaster has occurred.
“Part of the effectiveness will be it’s realism,” Denton said. “We just don’t want the public to mistake it for the real thing.”
While not revealing the exact location or time, city officials note the drill will be held inside McMinnville city limits and it will be held some time in the next 30 days.