A multi-agency search-and-rescue training exercise will bring emergency vehicles and specialists to neighborhoods near Colwell Lane in Plymouth Township on Thursday, Oct. 22, and Friday, Oct. 23.
The Plymouth Township Emergency Management Division and the Montgomery County Urban Search and Rescue Team (US&R) will run the two-day drill. It is scheduled from about noon to 4 p.m. each day in the areas around Colwell Lane and Colwell Park, according to a public advisory reported by Patch.
Township officials urged residents not to be alarmed.
The exercise will focus on GIS-based damage assessment, a geographic information system technique that helps emergency managers and municipal leaders evaluate damage and coordinate recovery after major weather events. Specialists from Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester and Delaware counties will join the Montgomery County team for the training.
"All specialists will remain on sidewalks or public property and will not encroach on any private property during the training exercise," the township said in its advisory.
Residents in the area can expect to see US&R specialists walking through the neighborhoods on foot and emergency vehicles legally parked on residential streets during the drill hours.
The Montgomery County US&R Team is a 30-member unit of full-time and part-time county employees that provides specialized rescue services across Montgomery County and southeastern Pennsylvania, according to Montgomery County's website. Members hold more than ten FEMA-based certifications and typically train at least twice a month. Joseph Dishler serves as the team's chief.
The team conducts mapping, structural and hazard evaluations after widespread weather events. That mission aligns with the GIS damage-assessment focus of the Oct. 22-23 Plymouth Township drill.
The exercise is not the first emergency training drill in the area. The Pennsylvania National Guard conducted a helicopter exercise along the Schuylkill River in Conshohocken, working with the Pennsylvania Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team and the Conshohocken Fire Department, Patch reported. Borough officials at the time said such drills help local responders prepare for water emergencies and work with state resources.
Residents with questions about the Oct. 22-23 drill can contact Plymouth Township Emergency Management.
