Baltimore-area officials huddled around tables preparing for Hurricane Mindy, with the storm just days away from barreling up the Chesapeake Bay.
The officials mapped out where fire trucks, rescue personnel and boats would be needed when Mindy makes landfall Thursday, bringing 130-mph winds and an 8-foot storm surge.
Or so they imagined, as fire, police and government officials conducted a training exercise to prepare the region for a major hurricane.
“What happens in Anne Arundel is likely to affect southern Baltimore, especially Dundalk and Essex,” Baltimore County Fire Division Chief Michael Robinson said.
The simulated disaster this week in Millersville is part of the Baltimore Metropolitan Council effort to have a regional approach to natural and man-made catastrophes.
The officials, clad in neon green vests and tags denoting their departments, began at 9 a.m. and planned for the imaginary Category 3 storm.
They assigned units and people to various stations in areas such as Galesville and Shady Side according to needs listed on large placards. A computer system was set up to show where units would be dispatched.
The exercise also helps officials document what resources were used, which will help counties recoup money when applying for federal reimbursement, said Burton Phelps, an instructor with the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg.
Radio communication, which was an issue with agencies during a Bay Bridge crash earlier this year, will not be a problem as the regional command group would work with just the Maryland Emergency Management Agency, Howard County Fire Chief Joseph Herr said.
The training exercise is the first of four to be conducted this year. The next one will take place October in Baltimore City, when officials will simulate a dirty bomb explosion in the Inner Harbor.
