Regional Full Scale Safety Exercise in East Texas This Week

CANTON — The East Texas Council of Governments, in partnership with Regional Advisory Council Trauma Service Area Regions F and G, the City of Canton, and Van Zandt County Emergency management, will conduct a Full Scale, Regional Safety Exercise today through Thursday. This 72-hour, around the clock event, based in Canton, will begin this morning at 7:00. It will incorporate local and regional emergency responders; local, regional, and state public works agencies; private business partners; and various state/federal agencies and over 60 participating hospitals through the Regional Advisory Council Trauma Service Area Regions F and G and EMTF Region 4. Counties involved are Smith, Van Zandt, Henderson, Wood, Anderson, Trinity, Shelby, Gregg, Panola, Houston, Freestone, Upshur, Franklin, and Camp.

The multi-day exercise, involving 400 to 500 participants, will test many areas of emergency management and medical response. Scenarios during the 3 day exercise will include a structural collapse, a dive rescue recovery, a confined space-low angle/high angle rescue, a dam break, a hazardous material spill a wide area search and rescue, medical special needs sheltering and two active shooter enactments.

Emergency response will be staged in Canton and the surrounding area. The exercise will begin with a scenario of a tornado that touches down in various locations across Van Zandt County. Emergency responders will attend to a structural collapse scenario at Tyler Pipe. A dive rescue recovery and a search and rescue operation will be conducted by area CERT teams at the Canton City Lake “Mill Creek Reservoir” located at 410 Arnold Paul Road in Canton. A mass fatalities/casualties scenario will be conducted at the First Monday Trade Grounds theoretically caused by a tornado during First Monday Trade Days. There will be a active shooter scenarios held at the Van Zandt County Courthouse and also at Canton Trade Days.