This is a test. This is only a test.

June 12th, 2008 at 05:04pm Deborah Austin

Don’t be alarmed Friday, June 13 if you overhear radio calls or chatter about a serious epidemic that just hit Rockford.

The epidemic is not real, but the calls will be. And they will be part of a very serious effort. The Winnebago County Health Department and dozens of local agencies will be doing a full-scale exercise to simulate what would happen if a real epidemic hit the Rock River Valley.  They plan to test their preparedness on many levels for an honest-to-goodness health emergency.

I’ll be one of the media members at the scenario.  Not even those in charge will know the identity of the infectious agent until Friday; that’s part of the exercise design. If a true health emergency hit, it probably wouldn’t come knocking politely. Local officials might not get any advance warning then, either.

In fact the scenario is so reality-oriented that media people covering the event must be credentialed and escorted by officials upon arriving. That’s part of the exercise also; the health department and local law enforcement agencies are testing the way they would coordinate with media members in a true emergency.

It should be interesting. We’ll keep you posted on HealthyRockford.com.

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