Emergency Responders to drill at Buckeye High
School gym would be evacuee center for Palo Verde event
On Friday (September 26), emergency responders from state, local and volunteer agencies will descend on Buckeye High School to exercise evacuee reception center operations to prepare for potential emergencies at the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station. This gives all responding agencies an opportunity to refine procedures, define necessary resources and train new employees and volunteers in emergency shelter operations.
“Public health and safety is our driving factor,” said Mary Rose Wilcox, Maricopa County Supervisor District 5. In an emergency event, residents within a 10-mile radius could be asked to shelter-in-place or evacuate depending on a variety of factors. “A reception center is a critical component of a successful evacuation,” said Wilcox.
Reception center operations established for nuclear plant emergencies are unique from other shelter operations, in that they involve radiological screening. They also include facilities for decontamination should it become necessary. All evacuees, regardless if they are planning to proceed to a shelter or not, must first go through this center. The fact that additional processes are required for the entire evacuated population means additional logistics and coordination, making the exercise all that much more important.
“Each agency has a particular role in managing responses to plant emergencies,” said Warren Leek, Director of Maricopa County Emergency Management. “This reception center exercise is one part of a larger drill we do annually, and which is graded by federal authorities every two years,” said Leek.
For more information on the emergency plan for Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, visit www.maricopa.gov/emerg_mgt or contact the Maricopa County Department of Emergency Management at 602-273-1411.
##MCDEM##
The Maricopa County Department of Emergency Management coordinates response and recovery activities through implementation of emergency response plans during and after emergencies. Implementation requires the support and assistance of many other county departments, local jurisdictions, the private sector and volunteer agencies.
Maricopa County has a population of approximately 3.7 million. It is the 4th most populous county in the US and 14th largest in land area.