North Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS) Emergency Preparedness Unit and partners are conducting a full-scale exercise on Thursday, Feb. 29, at Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park. The exercise will provide training for a public health and medical response event involving HHS, N.D. Department of Emergency Services, N.D. Bureau of Criminal Investigation, N.D. Parks and Recreation Department, Morton County Sheriff’s Office, Morton County Emergency Management and other public health partners and aims to demonstrate the ability to conduct large-scale response and recovery operations.
The campground and nearby trails will be closed to the public for the exercise, which should take approximately eight hours, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. CT.
The purpose of the training is to practice response and recovery capabilities and operational coordination. Exercise participants will secure a practice area at the park and demonstrate their ability to respond to the simulated emergency.
"One of North Dakota Health and Human Services’ strategic priorities is optimizing disaster and epidemic response and recovery. Readiness requires training,” said Tim Wiedrich, director of the HHS Health Response and Licensure Section. “We have an opportunity to conduct an exercise with federal and local partners – including members of the North Dakota Medical Reserve Corp and other health and medical response experts. This exercise is part of our ongoing preparedness and response efforts.”
More than 140 participants are expected to take part in the training.
Media and other inquiries can coordinate with the N.D. Department of Emergency Services Strategic Communications Officer Alison Vetter at (701) 391-8158, or alvetter@nd.gov