A member of the LPS Explosive Disposal Unit prepares a machine as part of the mock disaster. (Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

Emergency personnel take part in “mock disaster” bomb drill at city hall

Mar 12, 2020 | 6:00 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – If you were driving by Lethbridge City Hall Wednesday, you might have noticed several emergency vehicles parked outside, but there is no reason to panic.

Emergency Preparedness Manager with the City Luke Palmer says around 90 personnel took part in a training exercise where they simulated a bomb threat.

“We had two bombs placed in the building itself, which caused an evacuation, so city staff who would normally be used to a fire drill were now presented with a new challenge of actually evacuating for something of a different nature.”

The bomb threat was chosen for this because it is considered “high risk, low probability”, and city hall has a large number of municipal employees in the one facility.

There were three teams of people taking part – the explosive disposal unit from Lethbridge Police and the fire department’s hazmat team who were on the front lines, the emergency social services team with a reception centre that took care of evacuees, and an emergency coordination centre.

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Palmer says, overall, the exercise went quite well, but with so many people working together from different departments, there was some confusion at times as to who was in charge of what.

That is precisely why he believes doing simulations like this is important – to identify and fix any gaps that might appear so that, should a real situation happen, they are ready.

Palmer told LNN that it is also important for the public to be prepared.

“We do promote the 72-hour preparedness kit, making sure that you’re able to be self-sufficient for yourself and your family until we can get help to you or move you to a reception centre. Also, the big thing is just knowing the risks, knowing what hazards are present in Lethbridge is what’s going to drive the adoption of those kits and the acceptance of that risk.”

More details on what should be part of a 72-hour emergency kit can be found online here.

According to Palmer, they are legislated to do these mock disasters every four years, but he says they try to do them more often than that and for it to be a different situation every time.