Full-scale emergency exercise to take place at Ivy Tech Bloomington

Ivy Tech Community College Bloomington will be a host location for Operation Safe Harbor: A Full-Scale Exercise in emergency preparedness on Thursday, October 19. Sponsors of the exercise include the American Red Cross of the Indiana Region, Ivy Tech Bloomington, Monroe County Emergency Management, Indiana Department of Homeland Security, and numerous other community partners and residents.

The exercise will provide participants with an opportunity to assess capabilities, plans, policies, and procedures. It will focus on decision-making, coordination, and integration with other jurisdictions and organizations during a tornado. The exercise will test the agency’s ability to provide mass care services such as sheltering and feeding as well as communicating and coordinating across agencies, and to collaboratively assess damage to impacted homes.

Scenario
The scenario is that a tornado hits several areas in Bloomington and Ellettsville and people are unable to return home due to damage and inaccessibility.

Participants
American Red Cross Indiana Region
Bartholomew County Emergency Management Agency
Bloomington Fire Department/Community EMT - Mobile Integrated Health
Brown County Emergency Management Agency
Civil Air Patrol 
Indiana Department of Homeland Security
Indiana Division of Mental Health and Addiction
Indiana State Board of Animal Health
Indiana University Health
Indiana University Emergency Management 
Indiana University Health Lifeline EMS South Central Region
Indiana University  
Ivy Tech Community College Bloomington
Monroe County Emergency Management Agency 
Monroe Hospital
Monroe County Fair Board
Owen County Emergency Management Agency
Owen County building department
Orange County Emergency Management Agency
Salvation Army

For more information, contact Isis Chaverri, regional communications director, American Red Cross of the Indiana Region at isis.chaverri@redcross.org or 317-914-5744.

About the American Red Cross Indiana Region
The American Red Cross of Indiana Region serves 6.9 million people in 104 counties in Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Ohio through its six chapters: Central, Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, Southwest, and Greater Indianapolis (Regional Headquarters). The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit us at Redcross.org/Indiana or follow us on Facebook, Twitter @INRedCross and Instagram @indianaredcross.