Over 40 federal, state, and local organizations have mobilized at the Carowinds amusement park this week for a large-scale, three-day emergency training exercise designed to sharpen regional crisis response capabilities. The large-scale drill, which is not open to the public, runs from Tuesday, October 7th through Thursday, October 9th, with daily operations scheduled from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The training is a key component of the Charlotte Region Urban Area Security Initiative, a program focused on improving coordination across multi-agency and multi-state boundaries in the event of a major emergency.
Heavy Presence Expected
Residents near the amusement park and local hospitals are advised to expect a heavy presence of first responder personnel and vehicles throughout the three days. This includes a high volume of marked and unmarked vehicles, uniformed and plainclothes personnel, and the possibility of loud noises as various emergency scenarios are simulated…