At the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, leaders with various state government agencies, cities and emergency responders are gathered to participate in a mock crisis. In this hypothetical worst-case scenario, a 1-ton chlorine gas tank was leaking into the atmosphere of the Jackson metro area.
This training exercise was designed to test inter-agency communications and logistics, as well as help develop insight into how the state and local governments can respond to crises. Stephen McCraney, Executive Director of MEMA, says training is held year-round to stay prepared, but this specific run-through was requested by local governments wanting to better understand the emergency response pipeline.
McCraney says “This is the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. We’re here for every citizen. And by them making the contact today, we’re trading the business cards, we’re getting those 1-800 numbers down that are always manned 24 hours a day, letting them know that we’re here and we’re available to help and to mobilize those things that they might need that they just don’t have every day at their behalf.”
Melissa Faith Payne with the City of Jackson says making those connections will be beneficial for any future disasters.
“I’m glad we had this worst-case scenario. You hope it never happens, but if it does it’s good to have these relationships in place,” says Payne.
During the mock scenario, experts pointed out that though a disaster may seem simple, it still may require coordination with dozens of agencies to properly react, respond and inform the public.
Among those tertiary agencies to be contacted in a disaster is the Mississippi Department of Health. Spokesperson Liz Sharlot says disasters almost always have a public health angle that must be addressed, and in this mock scenario of a chemical leak, it could be important to inform residents of what to do when they eventually return to their homes.
