West Palm Beach, FL – Hurricane season is right around the corner and the Palm Beach County Citizen Corps, an initiative coordinated by the Palm Beach County Division of Emergency Management, continues preparing volunteers, alongside community partners, to work together in anticipation of the threat. The Palm Beach County Division of Emergency Management, partnering with the Palm Beaches-Treasure Coast Region of the American Red Cross, Palm Beach County Medical Reserve Corps, Amateur Radio Emergency Services and Palm Beach County School Police, will conduct a full-scale hurricane exercise on Saturday, March 2, 2013 from 9 a.m. – 12noon.
The exercise involves 15 primary hurricane shelter sites, Red Cross headquarters, and partial activation of the Emergency Operations Center. It is designed to engage the primary and support agencies involved in general population sheltering during a hurricane. It is expected that more than 150 volunteers and agency representatives will participate in the exercise throughout Palm Beach County. The exercise will provide officials with an accurate picture of sheltering capabilities utilizing a scenario involving a direct impact of a Category 3 hurricane to Palm Beach County.
The exercise will be monitored to evaluate capabilities in opening, operating and closing a shelter as well as communication procedures. Various scenarios will be provided to also exercise shelter staff decision making and problem solving skills.
“This exercise demonstrates our commitment to the whole of community approach to emergency management,” said Bill Johnson Director of Palm Beach County Division of Emergency Management. “We rely tremendously on our network of partners to achieve optimum readiness levels in Palm Beach County.”
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