First responders around the state held an emergency preparedness drill today to help improve response efforts after storms and other disasters.
The drill simulated an ice storm.
In Torrington, authorities responded to a simulated building collapse in the Kmart plaza on Main Street.
Firefighters, the Connecticut Urban Search and Rescue team and others set up their equipment in the parking lot similar to how they would if the situation were real. "We're testing over all our emergency preparedness. We're checking to make sure that operationally we're ready to go," said Torrington Deputy Chief Chris Pepler. While first responders drilled in the field, others gathered inside Torrington's Emergency Operations Center to communicate with local crews and with the state. Gov. Dannel Malloy stopped by the scene. Since he's been in office, five natural disasters have hit Connecticut, including the October snowstorm in 2011 that led to lengthy power outages and regular drills like this. "Make sure that we are as well prepared as a state, as well as our municipalities and our utilities, to face these kind of things and then recover from them as rapidly as possible," said Gov. Malloy. 156 communities around the state participated in the drill, said Malloy. The two-day drill continues on Saturday.
Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut