EmerGeo Fusionpoint to Support US-Canada Cross Border Exercise

Windsor, Ontario – February 22-25, 2011 – Windsor and area train for terrorist attacks, chemical assaults.

This four-day training exercise, dubbed Exercise Central Gateway 1, is meant to enhance the region’s ability to prepare for and respond to both natural and man-made disasters.

Read more from the Windsor Star: 
http://www.windsorstar.com/news/Windsor+area+train+terrorist+attacks+chemical+assaults/4279526/story.html#ixzz1DxeG3OKq

Press Release

Issued February 17, 2011 (Essex County)

EXERCISE CENTRAL GATEWAY 1

On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, February 22-24, 2011, various officials and staffs of The County of Essex, Municipalities of LaSalle, Essex, Tecumseh, the City of Windsor and the City of Detroit, as well as a large number of community partners such as the Canadian Red Cross, 211 Call Centre, Social Services and Hotel Dieu-Grace Hospital, provincial and federal departments (CRDC, CBSA, Environment Canada, Transport Canada, RCMP, MTO, OPP), the University of Windsor and private industry will participate in Exercise CENTRAL GATEWAY 1.This is an annual municipal/regional training exercise that has been developed to test the various aspects of emergency preparedness, emergency response plans and mutual aid capabilities across Windsor and Essex County as well as across international boundaries.

The exercise, based upon a series of escalating criminal and domestic terrorist events over the three-day period, will begin with the initial incident at approximately 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, February 22, in Windsor’s west end. On this day of the exercise an incident site/field exercise area will be established using a training chemical hauler and requiring the deployment of fire, police, EMS and HazMat teams. The field site, located in the vicinity of the Morton Terminal and the Windsor-Detroit Truck Ferry, will be supported by the Exercise Coordination Centre, Town of LaSalle and Town of Tecumseh Emergency Operations Centres (EOCs) that will be using and training with WebEOC/EmerGeo/Fusion Point, a recently acquired emergency information management software application. A Reception and Community Shelter Centre will be established at the WFCU Arena and staffed by the Red Cross and Social Services. An additional incident involving police and specialty teams will occur in the area of Tecumseh later that day. All exercise activities for the day will conclude around 4:00 p.m.

 Wednesday, February 23, will see a continuation of the terrorist threat and response incidents in the vicinity of the Morton Docks and Terminal, among a number of buildings waiting demolishing along the proposed Windsor-Essex County Parkway, and at the Coxon Towing Services Yard at Manning Road and the 401. These field exercise sites will involve police, fire, EMS and Hazmat specialty teams from the local, provincial and federal agencies with coordination and support from the City of Windsor, City of Detroit and Essex County EOCs using WebEOC/EmerGeo/Fusion Point software applications in their operations cycles. The field exercises will run from approximately 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. at the latest. There will also be a Reception and Shelter Centre set up for this day at the Harrow Arena to assist a minor emergency event that will occur in the community of Harrow.

On Thursday, February 24, the Town of Essex EOC will be set up from approximately 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. to support the ongoing series of field exercises from the previous day. The general theme for this day of the exercise will be the coordination of ongoing response and recovery operations, mutual aid and support and recovery operations across the region. All exercise main events and activities will end by 4:00 p.m. thereby allowing for the redeployment of out-of-region staff and resources back to their home bases that evening and throughout the next day, Friday, February 25.

For further information please contact the following exercise coordinators: 

• CBSA – Windsor-St.Clair Region Media Relations -519 967 4300
• Capabilities Based Planning (CBP) Project Manager - L. Tom St.Onge - 905 467 2314
• University of Windsor – Dayo Kefentse, Manager of News Services -519-253-3000 ext 3241
• Windsor Police Services Exercise activities – Sgt. Brett Corey – 519-981-3900 (cell) or 519-255-6700 ext 4250 (office)
• Reception and Shelter Centre – Donna Girard – 519-791-5216
• St. John Ambulance – John Nayduk – 519-971-9602
• Town of Tecumseh Exercise – Fire Chief Doug Pitre – 519-979-4041 ext 10
• City of Windsor Exercise – Fire Chief Dave Fields – 519-253-6573
• Town of Essex Exercise – Fire Chief Ed Pillon – 519-776-6476 ext 11
• Town of LaSalle Exercise – Deputy Fire Chief Dave Sutton – 519-966-0744

For Essex County and any general exercise details – Essex County Emergency Management Coordinator, Phil Berthiaume – 519-776-2024.