Smith County Emergency Preparedness Full Scale Drill Saturday

TYLER — A full-scale emergency preparedness exercise will be held at the APAC Plant on FM 206 in Smith County from 8 a.m. till noon Saturday, October 11. Officials say the purpose of this exercise is to build cohesiveness among all participating emergency response organizations in preparation for the occurrence of an actual emergency event. Officials note that this is a drill — not an actual emergency. FM 206 will be partially closed for the duration of the drill. The public should be aware that this is a realistic emergency simulation drill involving hundreds of participants. Smoke, fireworks, and actors who are made up to look injured may be visible around the drill area throughout the exercise. A high volume of emergency transport vehicles will be dispatched to the scene to transport victims to local hospitals as part of the simulation.

Participants in the exercise include site host APAC, local elected officials, Smith County Office of Emergency Management, Emergency Services District No. 2, Tyler Fire Department and Hazmat Team, 12 volunteer fire departments, Smith County Decontamination Unit, Tyler Independent School District Police Department, Smith County Sheriffs Office, Tyler Police Department, East Texas Medical Center, Trinity Mother Frances Hospitals and Clinics, UT Health Northeast, Texas Spine and Joint, ETMC EMS, AirOne, Champion EMS, Ambus, the Regional Advisory Council, Red Cross, Texas Department of Emergency Management, Department of Public Safety, Union Pacific Railroad, 2-1-1, TISD Drama Department, and TISD Fleet. Under the Emergency Management Preparedness Grant, Smith County is required to conduct three Emergency drills annually.