The Northern Illinois University Convocation Center will be one of the sites participating in a full scale exercise to practice for a regional response and recovery in the event of a large scale catastrophic incident in the Chicago metropolitan area May 28. The exercise is expected to run from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Convo is one of three regional hubs used for coordination of an evacuation in the tri-state area consisting of Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. In the event of a disaster such as severe flooding, a tornado outbreak, catastrophic earthquake or a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear explosion or dispersion, NIU would be a location for processing individuals in order to move them to a more permanent shelter or temporary housing.
The exercise will simulate the response to an actual emergency, and emergency responders would provide mass care and emergency assistance, shelter assignment, transportation coordination, family reunification, and provision of individual assistance before individuals relocate to more permanent, long-term shelters.
The regional hub exercise will involve the following local and regional entities:
- Federal Emergency Management Agency Region V
- Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications
- Cook County Homeland Security and Emergency Management
- DuPage County Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management
- Chicago Transit Authority
- Amtrak
- Metra
- American Red Cross
- Illinois Emergency Management Agency
- Indiana Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management
- Porter County Emergency Management Agency
- Valparaiso University
- NIU Department of Public Safety
- NIU Convocation Center
- DeKalb County Health Department
- DeKalb County Animal Shelter
- Ben Gordon Center
- T.A.I.L.S.
Click Here To Submit A News Tip Or Story