
Several local agencies including hospitals and universities tested their disaster preparedness on Tuesday.
The exercise hosted by Freeman Hospital focused on aiding organizations as they plan disaster response procedures.
Participants responded to different situations involving hazardous materials, domestic terror threats, pandemics and patient evacuations.
"We need to find the areas where we have strengths and be prepared for that, but more importantly is to locate the areas we need to strengthen our processes to make sure we can manage those things effectively," says John Ezell, the Interim Director of Emergency and Trauma Services.
Organizers say because these agencies serve such a large region they have to be ready for a disaster of any size.