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News
flash
Simulated
plague continues to spread …
prompting SNS distribution … threat advisory level maintained at red
(severe)
[MAY 15, 2003]
Top Officials 2 (TOPOFF2)
began Monday morning when escalating numbers of people began showing
up at hospitals with like symptoms. It was the beginning of the most
comprehensive terrorism response exercise ever undertaken in the
United States. Federal agencies and the American Red Cross in
cooperation with participants in Washington state, Illinois, Canada
and the national capital region have been involved in the five-day,
full-scale demonstration of how the nation will respond in the event
of an attack using weapons of mass destruction.
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The congressionally mandated national
weapons of mass destruction (WMD) exercise series is designed to
provide training for federal, state and local responders and top
officials. Emergency responders, coordinating agencies and
government leaders are being given opportunity to execute a
coordinated national (and international) response to WMD attacks.
The full-scale exercise began Monday,
May 12, and lasts through Friday, May 16.
Logan County Local Emergency Planning
Committee assistant director Terry Storer joined the response effort
Wednesday afternoon and will remain involved to the exercise end on
Friday. Storer received his assignment at a weekend meeting.
However, not unlike a real disaster situation, it could change due
to the number of personnel that are involved with actual tornado and
storm damage that has been occurring throughout Illinois the last
couple of weeks.
[to top of second column in
this article]
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Storer's assignment is as an exercise
controller working at a sub-venue with the DuPage County Health
Department at a Strategic National (Pharmaceutical) Stockpile
Distribution site. His responsibilities will be 24 hours a day.
Storer chuckled and said he was looking
forward to learning how to juggle the responsibilities and when to
get some rest. He will learn about managing his personal limits and
coordinating in a long-term crisis.
He is looking forward to the experience
of working with the federal government.
Storer also said, "There will be people
[working at this] from everywhere." There will be assistance from
outside the United States. The international experience will provide
a different social aspect for him and the other coordinators.
TOPOFF2 is
sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S.
Department of State.
[Press
release / Jan
Youngquist]
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