December 6, 2001 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (SH2001-77) FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION R. Steve Huffman Public Information Officer (251) 208-5806/Fax: (251) 208-5813 E-Mail: huffman@cityofmobile.org MULTI-AGENCY DOMESTIC PREPAREDNESS DRILL RESCHEDULED The Weapons of Mass Destruction Task Force (WMD) will be conducting a Multi-Agency Domestic Preparedness Drill, Wednesday, December 12, 2001. The Federal required chemical weapons full-scale exercise is scheduled to take place at the Greater Gulf State Fairgrounds. The exercise is a four-hour interagency drill set to begin at approximately 1:00 p.m. and end at approximately 5:00 p.m. and will focus on the initial field level response to a chemical weapon terrorist incident. The purpose of the drill is to exercise and evaluate comprehensively the community of Mobile's capability to respond to an act of chemical terrorism in a public setting. It will also provide a learning environment as a valuable training tool for responders and hospital personnel. The participants will include a number of fire service, medical and law enforcement agencies from the local, state, and federal level, including at least 2 local hospitals and the transport of approximately 100 victims divided among each. The WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction) Task Force is comprised of Officials from Mobile County Emergency Management Agency, Mobile Fire-Rescue Department, Mobile Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The drill and exercise will be observed and monitored by an exercise control organization selected by the Federal Government. A number of fire, hazardous materials and terrorist scenarios will be used in the exercise. IMPORTANT TO MEDIA REPS: The media is encouraged to participate and cover the exercise but as part of the exercise guidelines will be required to have a "media escort" at all times while in the exercise area. Mobile Fire-Rescue and WMD Task Force Spokesperson Steve Huffman will be assigning "media escorts" at the exercise site. NOTE: Anyone traveling in that particular area or living nearby should be aware of this so as not to cause any panic. EXERCISE PARTICIPANTS City Agencies  Mobile Fire-Rescue Department  Hazardous Materials (HazMat) Response Team  Fire-Rescue Communications  Public Information Office  Mobile Police Department  Tactical Response Unit (TRU)  Explosive Ordnance Disposal Detail  Criminal Investigations Section  Identification Unit  Police Communications  Public Information Office County Agencies  Mobile County Emergency Management Agency  Mobile County EMS  Mobile County Sheriff's Department (MCSD)  9-1-1 Communications  Mobile County Health Department  Environmental Health Services  Mobile County Medical Examiners Office Federal Agencies  Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Mobile Field Office  United States Coast Guard Hospitals  Mobile Infirmary Medical Center  University of South Alabama Medical Center Private/Voluntary/Non-government Agenices  American Red Cross-Mobile County Chapter  The Salvation Army ###