Mock training exercise being staged downtown

By Lethbridge Herald on September 21, 2022.

Herald photo by Alejandra Pulido-Guzman Emergency preparedness manager with the City of Lethbridge, Luke Palmer speaks to the media about the mock disaster training exercise taking place in downtown today during a media scrum Tuesday at Fire Station No. 1.

Alejandra Pulido-Guzman
LETHBRIDGE HERALD
apulido@lethbridgeherald.com

A joint training scenario involving multiple response teams from various agencies across the city will be taking place today in the downtown area. 

The mock scenario will take place on 4th Avenue South between 10 Street South and 11 Street South. Signage will be posted and members of the public are being advised that even though the scenario might look very realistic, it is only a training exercise and there is no danger to the public. 

“We’re running a full-scale mock exercise and we’re actually mobilizing resources that are going to respond to an incident occurring in the community,” said Luke Palmer, emergency preparedness manager with the City of Lethbridge.

He said the mock scenario will include actors with full simulated injuries and other things that will present a challenge to responders in terms of dealing with the incident.

“This is something that we are legislated to do every four years, but we have a goal here in the city to do it as much as possible and annually if we can,” said Palmer. 

He said this training scenario allows them to develop plans for how to react to any hazard that might impact the city. 

“Any plan we develop needs to be practiced before we actually utilize it. We want to make sure that whatever plan we utilize for any response in the community has been practiced and we’ve identified any deficiencies and to make sure it actually works,” said Palmer. 

He said tomorrow is part of emergency preparedness, to make sure the different organizations that will be required to respond to a similar situation, are ready and capable of responding to it. 

“Not only that, we also are able to ensure policies and procedures are in line as well as giving our first responders a first-hand opportunity to test their skills in the community, and actually see those simulated injuries that we mentioned and other simulated facets that will require a prompt response by the team,” said Palmer. 

He said the mock scenario will be based on a human-caused mass casualty simulation to get responders prepared to deal with an intentional human-caused act of whatever it might be, anything from chemicals to weapons.

“Preparation has been ongoing since before COVID and the big emphasis with much of these exercises is collaboration and coordination with other agencies, that’s not just at the local level between our Fire and EMS and police teams, but also at the provincial level and with the health sector. And if worse comes to worse, also the federal sector as well,” said Palmer. 

He said agencies involved in the mock exercise include Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services, Lethbridge Police Service, the Canadian Red Cross, volunteer actors from Lethbridge College and a couple of other regional partners including the Salvation Army. 

Palmer said the mock exercise is not only testing their plans and procedures, but also their facilities. 

“We want to target the downtown core because with our hazard-risk-vulnerability assessments we determined that that’s probably the most likely location for it to happen,” said Palmer. 

He said they are preparing to make sure that their plans meet the needs of the hazard profile that exists here as well as the needs of our community, but they are also encouraging preparedness at every level, including the individual level. 

“As much as we’re preparing our crews, we want to make sure that there’s an individual level of preparedness as well, ensuring you’ve got your kit that will take care of you for 72 hours or household action plan,” said Palmer.

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