Following Disaster Drill, City Wants Residents to Plan Ahead

submitted by Samuel Bendett

news-leader.com - by Amos Bridges - July 27, 2012

Fresh from a FEMA training drill that saw a swath of Springfield destroyed by a mock tornado, local emergency management officials hope to spur local residents and businesses to develop their own disaster plans.

About 70 city and county employees and other community officials involved in emergency management participated in a simulation at the National Fire Academy in Maryland last week. The drill, tailored to the Springfield area, included an outbreak of disease, power disruptions and a tornado that took out Mercy Hospital and Bass Pro Shops.

As a follow-up to the exercise, dubbed “Disaster Camp” by attendees, the city is developing an education campaign ahead of National Emergency Preparedness Month in September, a news release said.

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