East Oregonian
Tuesday, May 27, 2003

CSEPP to test crisis ability

By SHELLY INGRAM of the East Oregonian
singram@eastoregonian.com

HERMISTON - Nearly 600 responders will participate in the annual CSEPP emergency preparedness drill Tuesday, June 3.

The drill will involve emergency management personnel and volunteers from three counties - Umatilla and Morrow in Oregon and Benton County across the Columbia River in Washington. The states of Washington and Oregon, and the Army's Umatilla Chemical Depot will participate.

The exercise will start with a simulated chemical emergency at the Umatilla Chemical Depot. The goal is to demonstrate emergency preparedness activities throughout the communities surrounding the depot.

This year's exercise will again be held after 5 p.m. Emergency planners changed the drill time from the traditional morning hours three years ago to enable greater participation from emergency responders and volunteer medical and fire department workers.

During the early stages of the exercise, Morrow and Umatilla counties will sound outdoor sirens and alert residents through tone alert radios and highway message reader boards. The exercise also will provide Emergency Alert System messages to local radio and television stations, and Highway advisory radio systems will be used.

Benton County emergency management officials will simulate disaster response activities in the Plymouth, Paterson and Walla Walla areas.

The exact time of the drill is not announced. People are urged to listen to the sirens and the test exercise messages as part of their overall emergency preparedness. The public will hear Westminster chimes this year when the siren sounds in Umatilla and Morrow counties. Benton County will not activate its sirens.

Umatilla County will simulate a traffic accident during the drill and will have decontamination demonstrations.

The Joint Information Center at the Umatilla County Criminal Justice Building in west Pendleton will be activated to respond to mock public and media phone calls.

Federal, state and other evaluators will observe the drill.