CAMP RAVENNA, Ohio-The Portage County Public Safety Agencies and the Ohio National Guard will conduct a three-day, multi-state, multi-jurisdictional exercise beginning Aug. 6 at Camp Ravenna Joint Military Training Center.
The exercise will simulate the destruction of buildings and public infrastructure. Training will be conducted on a structural collapse simulator in a fictional town, and test the interoperability of key agencies as well as capabilities of local, regional, state and national emergency responders.
"Camp Ravenna provides multiple training venues that will enable agencies to work in a very real and complex training environment," said Maj. Gen. Greg Wayt, Ohio adjutant general.
The exercise will include 200 local responders and rigorously test the Ohio National Guard's ability to support local and state civilian authorities, incident and unified commanders and the state's emergency management agencies. "The emphasis of all response planning is that all emergencies start at the local level and additional resources are called in to assist local efforts. Having the ability to exercise collectively as a group and work together under local authority is what it's all about," said John Mason, Portage County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.
The training will also highlight the Ohio National Guard's newly authorized Homeland Response Force. The HRF consists of approximately 570 Soldiers and Airmen, trained and equipped to identify, respond to and mitigate the effects of all hazards and natural disasters.