Berkeley County Emergency Preparedness Department is sponsoring a Full Scale Exercise, called Eternal Vigilance, on Saturday, November 2, 2013. This exercise will provide participants with an opportunity to assess capabilities, plans, policies, and procedures. It will focus on decision-making, coordination, and integration with other organizations during a mass casualty event in a residential setting. The expected outcome of the exercise is to strengthen inter-agency coordination between the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and local first responders.
During a CERT fundraiser event at Del Webb in Cane Bay Plantation, a landscape maintenance worker misjudged the width of his mower and struck a gas main at the Resort building. The ensuing leak prompted action of the community’s CERT team who closed the shut off valve and evacuated the building. The leak occurred before the shut off valve though, fueling an explosion that resulted in heavy damage to the building and injuries to more than 50 people.
Note: There will be no real explosion. Simulated play will be limited to the Berkeley County Emergency Services Training Center in Moncks Corner. Mannequins will be used to simulate fatalities and volunteers wearing makeup will play the role of injured survivors.
The following agencies and organizations will participate in the exercise:
- Berkeley County Community Emergency Response Team
- Berkeley County Emergency Medical Services
- Berkeley County Emergency Preparedness Department
- Pimlico Rural Fire Department
- Whitesville Rural Fire Department
For more information on this exercise, please contact:
Nicholas Marino, Homeland Security Specialist
Berkeley County EPD
223 N Live Oak Dr
Moncks Corner, SC 29461
843-719-4168
