Wayne participated in emergency system test

By TOM KANE

HONESDALE, PA — Wayne County joined Pennsylvania’s 67 counties in testing the emergency preparedness system on March 16.

In Wayne, the test involved a large number of volunteers from school systems, hospitals, nursing homes, day care centers and borough governments. County officials and representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) were also there.

“We tested the way groups and individuals in the county would react to a disaster like the Katrina hurricane,” said Frank Smith, Wayne County Emergency Management Agency Coordinator.

During the exercise, the National Weather Service (NWS) issued exercise-based severe weather reports over the normal reporting channels such as the NWS radio stations.

A statewide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) originated in the state’s emergency operation center in Harrisburg. EAS, a voluntary network of local radio and television stations, is the primary public alert and notification system for emergency information.

“We tested the accuracy of our emergency plans county-wide and state-wide,” Smith said. ‘The radio and television stations received prearranged public service announcements (PSA) to air during the exercise.”

The PSA asked citizens to consider their emergency plans at home, such as the evacuation routes they would take, emergency care packages on hand, as well supplies of flash lights, batteries and non-perishable foods and water, Smith said.

“The volunteers play an important role in making the system work,” said Anthony Herzog, chairman of the Wayne commissioners. “I want to thank them for their efforts in favor of the safety of our citizens.”

The exercise was completed by 3:00 p.m. At the conclusion of the exercise, all units filed reports as to how they handled the emergency, Smith said.