June 21 Emergency Preparedness Exercise at Blenheim-Gilboa Project

June 21, 2007                                                                     

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SCHOHARIE—The Schoharie County Emergency Management Office (SCEMO) is conducting an emergency preparedness drill tonight at the New York Power Authority’s (NYPA) Blenheim-Gilboa Pumped Storage Project to test the capabilities of the appropriate agencies for responding to a simulated scenario at the hydroelectric facility.

SCEMO and NYPA will be joined by local and state police and area volunteer fire departments and emergency medical service personnel in participating in the exercise whose purpose is to enhance preparedness for emergency situations, however unlikely, and identify any areas for improvement. The New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control and New York State Emergency Management Office will be among the other organizations on hand for the exercise, which will test mutual aid capabilities, communications, and incident command structure.

The 6:30 p.m. drill will be held in a restricted area at the project site. The Blenheim-Gilboa Visitors Center, in North Blenheim, on Route 30, will be used as a staging area before the exercise, with the news media provided an opportunity to witness the assembling of emergency workers, equipment and material before deployment. Spokespersons from SCEMO and NYPA will also be available at the visitors center to answer questions before and during the exercise.

DATE:                                                 Thursday, June 21

TIME:                                                  6 p.m. (Half hour before exercise)

LOCATION:                                          Blenheim-Gilboa Visitors Center
                                                           Route 30, North Blenheim
                                                           (17 miles south of Middleburgh
                                                           and five miles north of Grand Gorge)

ACCESS & PHOTO OPPORTUNITY:
                                                          The staging area at the visitors center will be accessible to
                                                          reporters and photographers.

FOR MORE INFO:                               Judith Warner, director, SCEMO
                                                          (518) 295-8344

                                                            Stephen Ramsey,
                                                            community relations manager-Blenheim-Gilboa, NYPA
                                                            518-287-6380

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