Transylvania Public Health and several partner agencies will be conducting a full-scale public health emergency preparedness exercise at the Transylvania County Parks and Recreation Activities Center on Wednesday, Feb. 24. (This exercise was originally planned for Jan. 26; it was rescheduled due to inclement weather.)

This exercise will allow public health staff and emergency responders to practice the roles they would play during a public health emergency and assess current plans and capabilities to ensure that they would be able to meet the community’s needs. This particular exercise will simulate an incident that requires the distribution and dispensing of medications from the Strategic National Stockpile.

The exercise will begin at 9:00 a.m. and is expected to conclude by 2:00 p.m. Residents should expect to see an unusual amount of activity in and around the Transylvania County Parks and Recreation Activities Center and Transylvania Regional Hospital, including the presence of emergency vehicles on the day of the exercise. Residents should not be alarmed by these activities; they are necessary to allow staff to practice the roles they would play in an actual emergency.

Partner agencies include Transylvania County Emergency Medical Services, Transylvania County Communications, Transylvania County Emergency Management, Transylvania County Fire Marshal, Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office, Transylvania County Parks and Recreation, Transylvania County Administration, Brevard Police Department, Brevard Fire Department, North Carolina Forest Service, Transylvania Regional Hospital and American Red Cross.

For more information regarding this exercise, please contact Transylvania Public Health’s Preparedness Coordinator, Anita Glance, at [email protected] or (828) 884-3135 ext. 251.