The University took part in an emergency drill along with the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County communities Tuesday that included flood and tornado simulations. The simulation was coordinated by the Emergency Communications Center located on Ivy Road and is typically conducted twice a year, according to Charlottesville spokesperson Ric Barrick. This simulation, however, was slightly different because it focused on recovery from disaster and was evaluated by federal officials.
This was the first recovery drill since Hurricane Isabel in 2003, said Marge Thomas, emergency management coordinator for Charlottesville, Albemarle and the University. Participants learned about methods of running recovery operations and then discussed the issues they had studied, Thomas added.
A flood was selected as the mock emergency situation because floods have been a problem in the Charlottesville area in the past, Thomas said.
"Weather is most definitely our biggest problem," she said, noting that drills occasionally also prepare participants for man-made disasters.
The drill was evaluated by officials from various federal and state government organizations, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Barrick said. In the past, the government has taken a less active role in such emergency drills, he said.
"In this case they were at the back of the room and they were shouting questions at us," he said.
The drill also included a simulated tornado on Grounds. The mock setting of the tornado was days before University graduation, according to Marge Sidebottom, University director of emergency preparedness.
University officials discussed how they would handle graduation in the wake of this kind of disaster, including where they would hold ceremonies and how they would notify the federal government.
"I think in general we felt comfortable with what we have in place," she said.
Sidebottom added that the University will continue to examine its emergency preparedness, including how floods in Charlottesville could potentially affect students.
University officials in attendance included representatives from the University Police Department, legal office and Medical Center, among others, she said, adding that the mock disaster relief also depended on combined efforts from Albemarle and Charlottesville officials.
"We had a very fine turnout in terms of what it takes to ensure that not only all of our programs work well together at the University, but also we as a part of the city-county system are working together," she said.
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