On your morning commute Thursday, don’t be surprised if you notice a little bit of action around town.
On Sept. 13, between 7 a.m. and noon, a full-scale mock disaster exercise named Operation Unity will take place in the Central Okanagan. This will be the largest exercise of its type to take place in the region, with more than 40 agencies participating.
The purpose of this training exercise is to allow Kelowna International Airport (YLW) to meet the regulatory compliance requirement of testing its emergency response plan while, in conjunction, allowing participating regional agencies to exercise their response plans.
The simulated disaster exercise scenario will take place on the east side of the airport property bordering on Old Vernon Road and will consist of a mock aircraft accident. This scenario is designed to engage a broad segment of the community and bring into play almost all aspects of the Central Okanagan Regional Emergency Program.
In addition, both the University of British Columbia Okanagan campus and Interior Health at Kelowna General Hospital will conduct their own full-scale exercises in conjunction with Operation Unity. Normal operations will still occur at all exercise locations.
The public should be unaffected by this training event.
This exercise is being jointly coordinated by YLW and the Kelowna Fire Department on behalf of the City of Kelowna and the Central Okanagan Regional Emergency Program.
