Feds look to region for safety exercise, again

By John Yates
Special Correspondent

November 24, 2008 10:53 am

— McAlester and Pittsburg County will be one of three locations in Oklahoma to take part in a Strategic National Stockpile Inspection exercise, according to information at this month’s meeting of the Pittsburg County Local Emergency Planning Committee.
Mike Echelle, director of the Pittsburg County Health Department, said the exercise is tentatively set for March 25 and is to run for two days.
Inspections will be done by U.S. marshals, according to Echelle.
The other two locations in the state scheduled to take part in the exercise with Pittsburg County are Oklahoma City and Shawnee.
Echelle likened the exercise to the Sooner Spring exercise in 2002 that brought international attention to McAlester. It also involved Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Lawton.
In Pittsburg County, the ability to mass-distribute simulated antibiotics to the public was the local focus of that exercise.
For the upcoming one, according to Echelle, the focus will be more on the response of agencies rather than the public.
He has not yet been formally briefed on details of the exercise, Echelle told those gathered at the LEPC meeting.
Another, separate exercise is expected in the late first quarter or early second quarter of 2009 and involves the MarkWest pipeline company.
That is to involve an exercise at one of their facilities in the western part of the county. Full details on the exercise have not yet been developed, and a committee was appointed at the LEPC meeting to get together on the exercise.
A sizable mix of personnel from different agencies was present for the LEPC meeting, chaired by Gary Brooks.
John Yates is the news director for McAlester Radio. Contact him at 426-1050.