A collaboration between multiple organizations will be conducting a joint training exercise this weekend in Dallas County.
The Dallas County Emergency Management Agency will host a functional exercise at the Human Services Campus and the Minburn Fire Department on Saturday. This will bring together responding agencies from across the county to practice what to do in the event of an emergency with hazardous materials or multiple casualties.
During this drill, the public may see an increase in emergency vehicles and first responders at both the Human Services Campus and Minburn Fire Department as well as the roadways in between. The Dallas County Emergency Management Agency says preparedness drills help the county strengthen partnership and skills so that, if an emergency would occur, the department can respond swiftly and efficiently to reduce the severity of the incident. They also help the county to be proactive in identifying weaknesses to current response strategies.
Over the past two years, Dallas County Emergency Management has responded to multiple hazardous materials incidents and events involving multiple victims. Director AJ Seely says hazmat and mass casualty incidents require extensive coordination among multiple agencies.
“Hazmat and mass casualty incidents require extensive coordination among multiple agencies. This exercise allows us to test our plans, identify gaps, and strengthen our response to complex situations.”
Mass casualty incidents include both natural and man-made disasters such as severe weather events or active shooters. These incidents require intense coordination with local health care systems and emergency medical services to triage and treat a sudden influx of patients. Hazmat incidents involve release of hazardous materials that may cause harm to people, the environment, or critical infrastructure. These incidents also require strong coordination in order to address
immediate injuries, containment of hazardous substances, public health, environmental health, and disruption of roadways.