On Wednesday June 18th, the Pembroke Fire Department spearheaded an “Emergency Preparedness Exercise” which aimed to better prepare the City in the event of a real emergency situation.
The mock drill, which included participation from members from various city functions, imagined that a tornado had touched down in the City. It was then gauged how officials would deal with the damage and general chaos that event would bring.
Scott Selle, Pembroke Fire Chief who oversaw the drill says that the very first drill of this kind went well with room for overall improvement across the board:
The exercise was a response to a mandate handed down by The Province that states that municipalities are required to carry out such drills annually in an effort to better prepare for the real deal.
While there would be a lot of moving parts during an actual catastrophic event, Selle says that one of the most critical elements is free and open communication amongst everyone involved in order to mitigate duplication of effort and to foster an environment of calmness amid chaos:
Selle says he is looking forward to next years expanded drill which will involve actual deployment of various resources throughout the city.
(Written By: Richard Evans)