CARRABASSETT VALLEY — Sugarloaf will host representatives from New England ski resorts and local, county and state emergency response agencies to test their readiness in the event of a full-scale emergency during a drill Sunday, Nov. 7.
The drill is designed as a learning exercise for ski resorts and emergency management agencies and will simulate a chairlift derailment, according to a release issued by Sugarloaf.
A number of local agencies will be involved, including the Sugarloaf Ski Patrol, Carrabassett Valley Police Department, Carrabassett Valley Fire Department, Kingfield Fire Department, Eustis Fire Department, NorthStar Emergency Medical Services and Franklin Memorial Hospital, among others.
In all, the drill will involve more than 12 agencies and as many as 300 participants.
The drill will be monitored by the Maine Emergency Management Agency and the Franklin County Emergency Management Agency. Emergency response agencies will be tested according to the standards set forth in the National Incident Management System.
“The goal of the drill is to test the community’s ability to respond to a large scale emergency in a rural area,” Earl Connor, a member of the Sugarloaf Ski Patrol who is coordinating the drill, said in a prepared statement. “An event like the one we’re simulating would quickly overwhelm the readily available resources in a rural area, from first responders to hospital staff, and we’re testing our ability to respond to that. What we learn from this drill will be applicable to any number of scenarios in similar rural areas.”
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