Statewide drill tests resources, response to emergency incidents

“Operation Power Play 2017,” a statewide emergency exercise to test how public and private agencies would respond in the face of severe weather or other catastrophic events will be held at the University of Illinois at Chicago in conjunction with ComEd, the city of Chicago, and other utilities, agencies and jurisdictions.

More than 40 state, county, municipal, and private entities will come together to take part in scenarios that include multiple tornado touchdowns, extreme widespread flooding, a suspicious package removal, and an oil spill in the Chicago River.

WHEN:

Friday, May 19
8 a.m. – 1 p.m.

WHERE:

University of Illinois at Chicago
1139 W. Harrison St.
[Media parking available in Lot 1A]

WHO:

More than 300 participants are expected to attend the operations-based exercise sponsored by ComEd, Ameren Illinois, UIC, the City of Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications, Illinois Emergency Management Agency, DuPage County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and the U.S. Army Reserve.

DETAILS:

9-10 a.m. — Opening remarks

10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. — Exercise tours

Tours include the Illinois Business Emergency Operations Center; Chicago Federal Executive Board tabletop; ComEd Base Camp and Mobile Command Unit; demonstration of an Unmanned Aircraft System; Civil Air Patrol conducting simulated damage assessment missions; and more than a dozen command and response vehicles from various agencies.

11:30 a.m. — Electrical substation suspicious package exercise, 829 S. Jefferson St. [*Note: This activity will be held offsite.]

In this exercise, law enforcement agents will find a suspicious package inside a critical ComEd substation.  Response agencies will enter the substation and render the device safe.

12:30 p.m. — Closing remarks