Written By David Gomez
KERWOOD - On October 17, the township of Adelaide Metcalfe hosted the first of four emergency simulations planned across Middlesex County. The Middlesex County Reception Centre Exercise, gathered local officials, emergency responders, and community volunteers at the Kerwood Fire Hall to rehearse the operations of a Reception Centre in response to an emergency situation.
The simulation began at 9 a.m., with volunteers portraying evacuees facing different challenges. These roles included someone pretending to speak only Dutch, a very distressed person, and a volunteer hiding stuffed animals disguised as service animals.
Additionally, two participants simulated medical emergencies requiring paramedic intervention, and another volunteer portrayed someone refusing to communicate. The complexity of these scenarios allowed emergency personnel to practice handling diverse and realistic situations.
As part of the exercise, I participated as a “mock reporter,” sneaking into the Reception Centre to take photos and ask inappropriate questions, demonstrating how the presence of media can complicate emergency operations.
The role-playing by all participants contributed significantly to the success of the simulation, offering valuable practice in managing evacuees and controlling situations under pressure.
Representatives from Middlesex-London Paramedic Services and the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) supported the event, enhancing the realism of the exercise. Volunteers from various organizations, including the Salvation Army and Victim Services Middlesex- London, provided emotional and logistical support to evacuees, while municipal staff ensured the smooth operation of the Reception Centre.
Sue Clarke, Mayor of Adelaide Metcalfe, shared her thoughts on the simulation’s importance: “It’s a very valuable experience, and it brings all stakeholders together. Even though it was a practice run, it’s critical to do this because we all learn, and there is a lot of takeaways from this exercise. So, I’d like to thank everybody who participated; everyone did an awesome job.”
These exercises are mandated annually by Ontario’s emergency management regulations, as explained by Bettina Weber, the Community Emergency Management Coordinator (CEMC) for Middlesex County. “An exercise every year is mandatory. Usually, it’s a paper exercise, but every once in a while, we like to have a hands-on exercise because there are more things that you can learn from doing it in real life.”
Weber also stressed the importance of these exercises for the local community: “Adelaide Metcalfe has had people who have had to sleep at the fire hall due to bad weather or the 402 being closed. It could certainly happen again, so it’s a good thing to practice every once in a while.”
The exercise in Adelaide Metcalfe marked the first of four planned events, with the remaining simulations scheduled to take place later in October and November across other municipalities in the county. These future exercises will build on the lessons learned from this initial drill, ensuring that Middlesex County is well-prepared for a range of emergency scenarios.
As participants gathered for a post-exercise briefing over the delicious lunch made by The Salvation Army, it was clear that the simulation had achieved its goal: providing practical training that could one day save lives.
