Depot's 1st full-scale evening drill today

This story was published Tue, May 8, 2001

By Mary Hopkin
Herald Oregon bureau

HERMISTON - Bells, whistles and sirens are to sound across three counties today as emergency personnel from two Oregon and two Washington counties test themselves in the Umatilla Chemical Depot's annual drill.

Each year, the depot stages a mock disaster to test its employees, its emergency systems and its plans. At the same time, the Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program brings in surrounding communities and emergency staffs to participate.

Today's exercise will be the first full-scale drill held in the evening so many emergency crews, such as volunteer firefighters, can participate.

Residents also are urged to practice their home disaster plans when they hear the sirens sound about 5 p.m.

Emergency management officials from Oregon's Morrow and Umatilla counties and Washington's Benton County, the Umatilla Chemical Depot and the Federal Emergency Management Agency will participate.

The drill will start with a simulated chemical accident at the depot.

Depot officials will alert county and state emergency operations centers, and Morrow and Umatilla counties will activate the "incident command system" to respond.

The joint information center in Pendleton will be activated to respond to mock public and media calls.

Morrow County plans to set up a mobile decontamination site during the drill, and A.C. Houghton Elementary and Columbia Middle School in Irrigon will conduct overpressurization drills during the day.

Boardman Elementary will conduct an evacuation exercise during school hours, and city emergency operations centers may be partially activated at Boardman and Irrigon.

In Umatilla County, there will be decontamination centers set up at St. Anthony's Hospital in Pendleton and at Good Shepherd Medical Center in Hermiston.

Hermiston High School and Sunset Middle School in Hermiston and Clara Brown Middle School and Umatilla High School will test pressurization procedures.

McNary Dam will evacuate its workers, and the American Red Cross will set up a shelter in Pendleton.

In Benton County, Fire District No. 3 will set up a decontamination unit at Housel Middle School in Prosser, and the Benton County Red Cross will set up a shelter there.

The Walla Walla Fire Department will set up a decontamination unit at St. Mary's Hospital in Walla Walla, and Walla Walla Fire District No. 5 will have another decontamination unit at Wallula Junction.

"I'm anticipating a challenging exercise," said Lt. Col. Tom Woloszyn, depot commander. "The interaction between us and the community really wraps it all together."

 

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