CRAWFORD COUNTY EMERGENCY EXERCISE "OPERATION WIPE OUT" PLANNED FOR SATURDAY NOVEMBER 3, 2007
Crawford County Emergency Coordinator Dennis Gilstrap announced today that an Emergency Exercise titled "OPERATION WIPE OUT" will be held on Saturday, November 3, 2007. The Department of Homeland Security, which funds the grants providing the equipment for emergency response, requires an annual exercise using the equipment, training, and personnel of the various emergency response agencies in the county.
This year's drill will be held in the areas of the Van Buren City Park, Van Buren High School, Van Buren Fire Station # 2, and Summit Medical Center beginning at 7:00 AM and lasting until early afternoon. People in the neighborhoods surrounding these areas can expect to see emergency response vehicles, firefighters, paramedics, law enforcement and other responders engaging in the exercise.
Gilstrap specifically wants to inform the neighbors around the Cap Bedell Lake in City Park, and the Van Buren High School to expect numbers of emergency responders and loud noises in the area. The Fort Smith Fire Department Bomb Squad will be setting off small but loud controlled explosions in these areas as a part of the exercise.
Numerous agencies will participate including:
City of Van Buren: Mayor Bob Freeman, Police, Fire, Street, Engineer, and Municipal Utilities Departments.
Crawford County: County Judges John Hall, Sheriffs Department, Rural Fire Departments, Road Department, Health Unit, Coroners Office, Department of Emergency Management, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), and Search and Rescue Team.
State of Arkansas: Arkansas State Police, Arkansas Department of Emergency Management (ADEM)
U. S. Government: FBI
City of Fort Smith: Fire Department Bomb Squad
Van Buren High School: Medical Academy
Summit Medical Center
The Salvation Army
Emergency Medical Services providers: Southwest EMS and CareOne
George Cabaniss
Deputy Coordinator and Public Information Officer
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