Local agencies to participate in large-scale incident response exercise

Posted on March 11, 2020

Bloomington Fire Truck — Participating agencies include Bloomington, Normal, Danvers, McLean, and Urbana fire departments, Metro McLean County 911 Communications Center (Metcom) and McLean County Emergency Management Agency. (Facebook/Bloomington Fire Department)

By Neil Doyle

BLOOMINGTON – Several local agencies will be participating in an all-day training exercise Thursday in Bloomington.

The exercise is to prepare agencies to respond to a terrorist attack involving an agricultural facility, according to a news release. The exercise will start at 7:30 a.m. Thursday at Asmark Institute Agricenter, located off Route 9 west of Bloomington.

According to the news release, the scenario will escalate as more information is discovered following the arrival of the first agency. Surrounding properties may also be utilized as part of the scenario and have been made aware of the presence of a large number of emergency vehicles in the area during the exercise.

Participating agencies include Bloomington, Normal, Danvers, McLean, and Urbana fire departments, Metro McLean County 911 Communications Center (Metcom) and McLean County Emergency Management Agency.

This training exercise is funded by a grant through Mutual Aid Box Alarm System and Illinois Emergency Management Agency, following guidance from U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Neil Doyle can be reached at [email protected]

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