Cornwall Ontario – The City of Cornwall and local community partners will be conducting an Emergency Reception Centre functional exercise at the Benson Centre on Wednesday, September 14th from 10 am to 12 pm.

Exercise Safe Hands will involve the simulated setup and management of an Emergency Reception Centre in response to a significant infrastructure failure in Eastern Ontario which affects the City of Cornwall. The exercise will test the written Reception Centre Emergency Plans, emergency procedures and communications between the agencies involved. The simulated emergency will result in the simulated evacuation of residents role-played by volunteers to a Reception Centre setup at the Cornwall Benson Centre. The Benson Centre will remain open for regular programming during the exercise.

Cornwall Social & Housing Services will lead the setup, management and in-take of displaced persons to the Reception Centre located at the Benson Centre. The Reception Centres will test the key Social Services functions in an emergency including registration and inquiry, emergency lodging, emergency feeding, emergency clothing and emergency personal services in partnership with community groups like the Red Cross, Salvation Army and Amateur Radio Emergency Services.

Under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, all municipalities must conduct exercises to test their emergency plans. Exercise Safe Hands primary goals are to test Reception Centre management, emergency procedures and teamwork.

“Exercise Safe Hands will test our Emergency Plans, community partners and ability to meet the Emergency Social Services needs of our community during an emergency,” said Commander Bradley Nuttley, Cornwall’s Community Emergency Management Coordinator.