Press Releases
09/01/2023
State Emergency Response Commission to Conduct Interagency Emergency Preparedness Training Exercise Sept. 7
Exercise Will Practice Communications and Emergency Response Coordination Between Local, Regional, State, and Federal Organizations
(HARTFORD) – The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) announced today that several emergency preparedness and response agencies will gather on September 7 in Bridgeport and Fairfield to conduct a full-scale field training emergency preparedness exercise.
The purpose of the training exercise is to practice communications and oil and chemical emergency response coordination between local, regional, state, and federal organizations. State Emergency Response Commission Chairman Gerard Goudreau noted, “this training exercise is a hands-on way of applying preparedness plans and strategies that individual response teams have developed. This aids participants in learning how to integrate those strategies with other agencies to effectively protect and serve our communities.”
The full-scale exercise includes scenarios planned to simulate a transportation-related response to petroleum and chemical releases potentially affecting waterways in the area. 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.
A tabletop exercise will be conducted on September 6 to complete specific tasks in support of the September 7 exercise, which will occur primarily at the Fairfield Regional Fire School, with some participants potentially working in the field in Bridgeport and Fairfield on both days.
To date, participants in the exercise include: the State Emergency Response Commission, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection’s Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEMHS) and Commission on Fire Prevention and Control, the Connecticut National Guard Civil Support Team, the Town of Fairfield, City of Bridgeport, fire departments from Fairfield, Bridgeport, and elsewhere in the Fairfield County region, local Health Directors and Emergency Management Directors, Regional Hazardous Materials and Incident Response Teams, the Connecticut Department of Transportation, the Connecticut Department of Public Health, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the United States Coast Guard, local community organizations, and potentially additional federal, state, and local organizations at various levels of participation.
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).
Members of the media are welcome to cover the full-scale exercise on Sept. 7.
- Who: Local, regional, state, and federal officials
- What: Interagency emergency preparedness training exercise
- Where: Fairfield Regional Fire School, 205 Richard White Way, Fairfield, CT
- When: Thursday, Sept. 7, 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
- Twitter: @CTDEEPNews
- Facebook: DEEP on Facebook
Contact
DEEP Communications
DEEP.communications@ct.gov
860-424-3110