Date set for next region-wide exercise

UT Health Henderson Hospital

The date for the next regional-wide healthcare drill has been set for October 16, 2019. The annual exercise will involve 19 counties across Northeast Texas and dozens of long-term healthcare and home-health facilities. Amateurs will provide communications for several locations simulating a power outage due to a large weather event.

This year's event is scheduled for the afternoon and will likely include opportunities to practice voice and data communications. The Rusk County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) will be activated at the Sheriff's Department. Exercise events also will take place at the UT Health Henderson hospital as well as other area facilities.

We will meet for a briefing at 12:15pm at the OEM office. The drill will officially begin at 1pm. Any amateurs wishing to assist in the exercise are ask to contact W5CWT, who serves as the Rusk County ARES Emergency Coordinator, to register for the event. He can be reached at w5cwt@arrl.net.