Micro, N.C. – Johnston County Emergency Services brought together personnel across multiple departments last week for a full-scale exercise designed to test the county’s ability to establish, manage and operate an emergency shelter.

Conducted at North Johnston Middle School, the exercise provided county employees with hands-on experience in the procedures, equipment and partnerships needed to care for residents displaced by hurricanes, severe weather, extended power outages and other emergencies.

“Exercises like this allow us to work through potential challenges on a blue-sky day, before we are faced with an actual emergency,” said Sandy Wood, Emergency Management Coordinator/Division Chief. “The benefit to the public is that we are better prepared to provide shelter and mass care services with compassion and efficiency when they are needed.”

Participants rotated through five training stations addressing the primary functions of shelter operations. Those stations included hands-on experience with resident and pet registration, medical evaluation, shelter documentation, animal care, dormitory and sanitation management, food service, and procedures for addressing residents’ individual needs.

Emergency shelters require multiple agencies to work together, with each organization responsible for a different part of the operation. Regular exercises, like the one held last week, help new and experienced employees understand their responsibilities, become familiar with available resources and strengthen relationships with the partners they will work alongside during an emergency.

Johnston County may open shelters in response to hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding, winter weather, hazardous-material incidents, major transportation disruptions and other circumstances that temporarily displace residents or travelers.

The exercise concluded with a formal “hotwash” to identify strengths, lessons learned and opportunities to improve existing shelter procedures.

While Johnston County continues preparing its personnel and resources for Hurricane Season, residents are encouraged to also take a few moments to ensure their preparedness for potential storms. Residents should develop an emergency plan, assemble a supply kit, plan for medications and pets, and identify how family members will communicate if phone or internet service is disrupted.

More preparedness resources and guides for Hurricane Season can be found on the Emergency Management website. .