County revisits emergency plan in wake of terror

BANGOR – Last month’s terrorist attacks in New York City and the Pentagon hit home for countless Americans. If it could happen there, it could happen anywhere.

Though Penobscot County’s disaster plan doesn’t specifically address what steps would have to be taken in the event of a terrorist attack here, the two-volume tome represents the county’s ability to bring together numerous public safety officials, ranging from fire and police and to ambulance and medical services, said Bert Ingraham, emergency management director for Penobscot County.

Last week, Ingraham said his agency is prepared to deal with a catastrophe of any magnitude, from hurricanes and floods to chemical spills and airplane crashes. Regardless of the disaster, he said, the existing protocol, incident command system and emergency responders could be employed.

The plan, which is periodically updated and revised, is a product of the Local Emergency Plan Committee, a group of local volunteers drawn from the worlds of health care, law enforcement, firefighting and the media, to name a few. Each of Maine’s 16 counties has an LEPC. Each county’s plan is subject to review and approval by the State Emergency Response Commission.

In addition to the county’s facilities on Hammond Street, copies of the plan have been deposited at numerous strategic locations throughout the county, Ingraham said.

While Ingraham declined to reveal the specific scenario, he said members of the county’s emergency planning board would meet Wednesday to test their plan’s mettle.

Though Wednesday’s simulation will be a tabletop exercise, every third year the group participates in a full-scale mock disaster drill, complete with real emergency responders and volunteer victims. One recent simulation involved a mock plane crash at Bangor International Airport.

Regardless of the scenario, many potential disasters could result in mass casualties. Ingraham said the preparation work helps ensure that Penobscot County has the infrastructure in place to handle the numbers of people who could be affected.