Harford County will conduct its first weapons of mass destruction drill July 12 to test communication among police, paramedics and firefighters.
“We?re northeast [of Washington and Baltimore], so it?s something we all have to be aware of,” said Linda Ploner, Harford County?s emergency planner.
The Department of Homeland Security is granting Maryland $24 million this year to protect and prepare against disasters.
Some of the money has been used to establish a communication system that allows first-responders from all organizations to easily communicate with each other, which they couldn?t in the past.
Emergency personnel previously used different radio channels, and now they can essentially use the same one as a result of technological advancements, said Jeff Welsh, spokesman for the Maryland Emergency Management Agency.
The drill will test how effectively different groups work together, which will determine their ability to work proficiently if a real disaster strikes.
“Communication is one of the essentials of any kind of response,” said Welsh. He said one of the biggest problems with Sept. 11 was emergency personnel?s inability to communicate with each other.
Ploner said the county has performed countless disaster drills in the past, but never involving a terrorist-related event.
Multiple hazards will be acted out in Bel Air, Aberdeen and Havre de Grace, so Department of Homeland Security officials can critique the communication and cooperation throughout and around the county.
Cecil and Baltimore counties and Baltimore City officials will help carry out the daylong exercise involving more than 30 organizations, the most of any Harford County exercise, according to Ploner.
County officials said they would risk decreasing the exercise?s effectiveness if they gave out too much information about what is going to happen.
