On Thursday, Aug. 20, city staff, first responders, School District officials and regional agency partners will conduct a training exercise at various locations on the Island, including Lakeridge Elementary, City Hall and the Community Center. This is only a practice.

Building on a two year exercise plan named “Operation Safe Community,” this year’s all-day event will be a full-scale exercise that will simulate an act of violence in a school. Mercer Island Police and Fire, School District, city staff and regional partners will test their response capabilities.

The city expects over 250 participants to be involved in the training, and some will be playing realistic roles with stage make-up and simulated injuries, while others will provide traffic control, or act as members of the news media.

“The 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut showed how a small town similar to our own can be devastated by one dreadful act of violence,” according to a city press release sent Aug. 10.

Recent incidents throughout the country prove the continual need to prepare and have a coordinated response to such devastating events. In response to this type of incident, the City of Mercer Island and the Mercer Island School District (MISD) have been working together since 2013 to prepare schools and staff for a range of emergency incidents.

“The city’s emergency professionals frequently train for many types of event that we hope never actually happen, but we must be prepared,” according to the release.

The Mercer Island Community and Event Center, the North Luther Burbank Parking lot, Lakeridge Elementary, and the 7200-7800 block of 84th Avenue S.E. will be closed on Thursday, Aug. 20 from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Flyers will go out to South End Mercer Island residents who will be affected, and signage will be posted on the south end to detour Island Point residents eastbound on S.E. 78th to Island Crest Way.

If any residents have any questions or concerns regarding this practice event, please contact City of Mercer Island Emergency Preparedness Officer Jennifer Franklin at 206- 275-7905 or jennifer.franklin@mercergov.org.

To learn more about preparing yourself for various emergencies, visit: www.mercergov.org/emergencyprep.