It’s scheduled to start at 8 a.m. and wrap up before noon. Increased traffic and emergency vehicles are anticipated in NRRI’s vicinity during this time.
For safety and security reasons, the exercise is not open to the media, but UMD will provide interested outlets with a short clip of the day’s action.
Media Participation
At 12:30 p.m., UMD will host a mock news conference. It’s designed to serve as a training opportunity for UMD’s communication team and the UMD Police Department (UMDPD). The media is invited to participate and ask UMDPD Chief Sean Hulls, Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Fernando Delgado, and Director of Marketing and Public Relations Lynne Williams questions about the emergency.
The mock news conference will be followed by a real news conference. At this time, the key participants will be able to answer questions about why the emergency exercise took place, takeaways, and the partner organizations that participated.
About the Exercise
This full-scale exercise is part of UMD’s ongoing efforts to prepare for significant emergencies and strengthen its partnership with area emergency responders.
“Our department works closely with city, county, and state personnel and deeply appreciates these relationships,” says UMDPD Chief Sean Hulls. “It allows us to respond quickly and effectively in emergency situations.”
Partners in the August 10 exercise include the Hermantown Police Department, St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office, Duluth Police Department, St. Louis County 911, Gold Cross Ambulance, 148th Fighter Wing Fire Department, Hermantown Fire Department, St. Louis County Rescue Squad, FBI, U.S. Border Patrol, Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Department of Homeland Security, St. Luke’s Hospital, and Essentia Health.
UMD received a $12,500 grant from the Minnesota Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management to conduct the full-scale emergency exercise.