HINTON – The Town of Hinton will conduct an emergency preparedness drill in the Hillcrest Evacuation Zone in partnership with emergency services on Saturday (May 3) from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Town advised residents that this will be a scheduled drill and not a real emergency.
“This is a planned exercise to test evacuation procedures and raise awareness about emergency readiness in the event of a wildfire,” the Town stated in a Tuesday (April 22) news release.
According to the Town, the drill also provides training for emergency responders and promotes FireSmart.
Residents and bystanders may notice a visible presence of emergency crews, vehicles and drones operating over the Hillcrest zone for training purposes.
Personnel will knock on doors in the Hillcrest zone to simulate evacuation notifications, and the Town will provide regular updates via Notify Me (Emergency Alerts) and Town social media accounts.
Selected households in the Hillcrest evacuation zone are being contacted in advance via a mailed letter.
Hillcrest residents have the option to voluntarily participate in the evacuation by following instructions from Town communications or first responders. This includes evacuating to the Emergency Support Service centre. They can also receive FireSmart educational materials from responders.
For all other Hinton residents, no action is required, but they are encouraged to use this opportunity to review their emergency zone, know their evacuation route and discuss with their household about their emergency plan.
Those with questions can submit a general inquiry through Hinton Listens.
