Press Releases
09/16/2022
Regional Emergency Preparedness Exercise To Be Held in Capitol Region Sept. 17
Hazardous Materials Inter-Agency Response Exercise Links States, Federal, Regional, and Local Agencies
(HARTFORD)—Several emergency preparedness and response agencies are gathering on Saturday, September 17th in Windsor Locks to conduct a full-scale training exercise. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), State Emergency Response Commission, the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services (Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEMHS) and Connecticut Commission on Fire Prevention and Control), the Connecticut Military Department’s New England Disaster Training Center, the Town of Enfield, fire departments from Enfield and Windsor Locks, Hartford County Fire Coordinators, DEMHS Regional representatives and the Connecticut Capitol Regional Hazardous Materials Team. Other participating agencies include the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and the United States Coast Guard. Vinal Technical High School emergency management program students assisted with exercise logistics as part of their training.
The purpose of the training exercise is to practice communications and emergency response coordination between local, regional, state, and federal organizations, including communicating with Massachusetts for response activities. The training exercise is a hands-on way of applying preparedness plans and strategies that individual response teams have developed.
The full-scale exercise is being held in collaboration with the Connecticut National Guard at their Camp Hartell facility in Windsor Locks, with scenarios planned to simulate a transportation-related response to oil and chemical releases potentially affecting waterways in the capitol region.
Insights from the day’s activities are used to modify strategies to continuously improve the ability of different agencies to effectively respond to incidents involving oils and chemicals released during transportation.
The training is funded by an emergency preparedness grant from the United States Department of Transportation, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration administered by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, in partnership with the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services (Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security and Connecticut Commission on Fire Prevention and Control).
The full exercise runs from 8 a.m.-3 p.m., with most activities occurring between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Members of the media interested in covering the exercise are welcome to attend. Location address is 580 North Street, Windsor Locks. Media members are asked to check in at the gate and show their media credential.
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Contact
DEEP Communications
DEEP.communications@ct.gov
860-424-3110