Homeland Security Exercise prepares Logan County for disasters and more

[October 17, 2015]  LINCOLN - On Thursday, October 14, emergency responders and support agencies gathered in the Logan County Emergency Operation Center (EOC) for an annual exercise. They were joined by community leaders Logan County Board Chairman David Hepler, County Board liaison Andy Anderson, Lincoln Mayor Marty Neitzel and City Administrator, Clay Johnson.

The exercise was structured through many hours of planning meetings under a local Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Planning Team. It tests local preparedness for hazardous material incidents, natural disaster or other public safety events.

This year's event was a regional exercise involving five surrounding counties and was conducted simultaneous with other counties to test the state resource limits and ability to manage a large scale disaster. The scenario base was a massive storm and destructive tornadoes.

The mock exercise began on Wednesday morning when the EOC was opened for two hours with the announcement that Logan County was in direct line of a strong storm with potential tornadoes. Chiefs and community resource liaisons began planning for the threat with a roundtable of what resources could be drawn on and how to prepare.

Returning to the EOC on Thursday, the exercise opened with an announcement that three tornados had struck areas in and around Lincoln. Roads were blocked, the hospital compromised, there were injuries and a fatality. Outside participants interjected several new issues during the exercise for the team to handle including natural gas leaks and power outages.

Outside evaluators were present to assess performance of the group.

Representatives of Logan County Sheriff's Department, Lincoln Police Department, Paramedics, Lincoln Fire Departments, Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital, the Health Department, public works such as Lincoln Streets; mass population representatives such as colleges, local schools, prisons; support agencies such as Red Cross, Salvation Army, Community Action, Chamber of Commerce and others - all joined forces to address how to respond to needs in the community following a mass disaster.

During the course of the day everyone worked together to resolve life safety challenges implementing local resources and when those were expired, by requesting outside aid. Primary aims were to remove debris, initiate search and rescue, aid and transport injured persons, get power restored, protect property, set up shelters and provide meals, enlist additional medical resources, and to get information to the public about what was happening and what they should do.

Logan County Emergency Management Agency Deputy Director Terry Storer who designed the Logan County Plan was pleased with the great turnout and support of the Logan County agencies that participated on Thursday. Every sector of emergency agencies and support were present and participated in the months of planning.

While this year's exercise was entirely conducted in the Emergency Operating Center, next year's exercise would be a full-scale, which means setting up in the field as well as opening the EOC. Next year’s event will build on the same tornado scenario, nicknamed last year as “Twisted Sister.”

[Jan Youngquist]