By Rosalind Russell – Local mining company BHP and the City of Elliot Lake held a Emergency Field Exercise last week, with the goal to foster a shared state of readiness to respond to emergency events.
According to the release, the scenario included a simulated hypothetical dam failure at the Quirke Mine site in Elliot Lake that activated the City’s Emergency Operating Centre and involved coordinated efforts from BHP, the city, and emergency fire, police and medical responders.
Participants worked through a series of simulated challenges, including deployment of emergency services, road and highway closures, evacuations, and more.
The exercise, which took place on Tuesday, concluded with a debriefing session to evaluate performance and identify opportunities for improvement.
The city holds table top exercises yearly based on hazards within the community.
BHP holds desktop exercises regularly and major exercises on a routine basis.
The last major joint field exercise in Elliot Lake was in 2018.
For more information, visit the emergency management section of elliotlake.ca or bhp.com/tailings
Photos provided by the City of Elliot Lake
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