Mock emergency scenario rolls out across Campbellford

It was just a drill.

But in Campbellford it was all hands on deck, as emergency services, first responders and other agencies sprung into action for a major mock emergency which played out across the town.

The municipality of Trent Hills went through a mock emergency scenario to deal with the aftermath of a tornado touching down in the town.

“A major storm has landed in Campbellford and it demolishes some houses and retirement and long-term homes, it devastates the area and cuts out power to the town,” said Ken Stubbings, health, safety and emergency planning manager with the municipality of Trent Hills.

“Responders are in a simulation cell, participating as though they were on site,” he said. “We also have some paramedics out picking up actual causality simulated injuries and they are taking them to the hospital.”

It was a major production with more than 260 people involved in the mock catastrophe with work going on behind the scenes for the last year, as scripts were written and followed to a tee.

This type of training exercise is mandated by the province but organizers say it goes a long way.

“If I could quote one of the participants, they just said that ‘it really helps them bring light to actual emergencies and what they have to do,'” said Stubbings. “We go by the motto your preparedness helps us all.”

The daylong emergency training spread out across the town, organizers say emergency scenarios like this aren’t so far-fetched anymore and point to the area being under flood warnings this summer.

“When those real situations do occur, even this year there was the flooding of Lake Ontario and with the weather, those kind of situations are more usual.”

Organizers say the exercise ensures all groups are on the same page in case a real emergency ever unfolds.