WKRN, Nashville, Tennessee News, Weather, and Sports |TEMA holds disaster drill in Bell Buckle
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BELL BUCKLE, Tenn. – Emergency responders were put to the test Wednesday at a training exercise in Bell Buckle.
The event was part of a TEMA training exercise to test radio communications between different agencies.
"What we are doing is bringing in responders from local jurisdictions, federal jurisdictions, and state agencies and making sure that they have the capacity and the equipment and understanding on how to talk together during a major emergency," explained Jeremy Heidt with TEMA.
First responders from 13 counties and 11 state agencies including the Tennessee Department of Transportation and Rutherford County Emergency Management Agency participated in the exercise.
"We want to identify our problems in training verses real emergency," said Joe Johnson, chief of public safety at the Smyrna airport.
During an emergency, when Rutherford County deploys their command center, Johnson helps coordinate the hundreds of radios used.
He said new radio technology evolves and changes as fast as computer technology and there are well over 400 different types of radio systems.
"It is constant, ever-changing and we are trying our best just to keep up with all those constant changes," explained Tim Hooker with Rutherford County EMA.
The exercise on Wednesday gave different agencies the chances to test their ability to work and communicate together so they will be prepared and ready to respond to any event.
It was part of a multi-year training plan from TEMA to get the state prepared for any catastrophe.
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