The exercise will bring additional police and fire department activity and an increased sound of sirens in the immediate area. The public may also experience an exercise-related “lock down” of access control points at the Columbus VA and temporary closure of nearby roadways.

“Knowing what to do in an emergency is critical. Preparation is one of the most important safety measures to ensure readiness in the unlikely event an incident occurs,” said William Robinson, Columbus VA chief of police services. “This includes regular emergency response exercises.”

Conducted jointly with the Columbus VA and Whitehall police departments and the Whitehall fire department, the exercise is a realistic fire and police training response to hazardous material spill. The focus of this exercise is on improving staff coordination, validating post incident management planning, and emergency response management operations.

For more information contact the Columbus VA public affairs office at 614-812-8100.

About the VA Central Ohio Health Care System

The VA Central Ohio Health Care System consists of four community-based outpatient clinics, a stand-alone behavioral health clinic, and a level 2 complexity health care center that offer a full spectrum of primary care services, urgent care, evidence based behavioral health care, specialty medicine services, and same day ambulatory surgery for more than 50,000 veterans in 14 counties throughout central Ohio. For more information visit https://www.va.gov/central-ohio-health-care/.