Health Emergency Exercise

The BAT 2016 health emergency exercise is today, Tuesday, June 14, in the UW-Parkside Sports & Activity Center. Health departments from around the region are responding to a simulated anthrax release in southeastern Wisconsin, and opening a point of dispensing (POD) for medication inside the Frank J. Petretti Fieldhouse.

The Parkside POD is one of 14 that will be open in the southeastern portion of Wisconsin. According to health department officials, this is the second-largest exercise in the U.S. this year. During the course of the exercise, the following public and private agencies will be involved:

LOCAL -  public health departments, hospitals, private-sector businesses, law enforcement agencies, emergency management agencies, schools and universities.

STATE - Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), Wisconsin Emergency Management, the Wisconsin National Guard, and the Wisconsin State Patrol.

FEDERAL - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response in the US Department of Health and Human Services, and the US Marshals will have active roles.

The exercise begins about 9 a.m. and concludes in the early afternoon.