News

Emergency planning for the 2010 Olympic Games includes a review of how the military, police and government agencies will respond to a sudden release of radioactive material contaminating the population.

"I don't want to give away the exercise," John Oakley, director of the integrated public-safety office of Emergency Management B.C., said in an interview. But the five-day security exercise that began yesterday, 10 minutes away from the Olympic Oval skating rink, involves "a chemical incident" that would end up with radiological isotopes contaminating people, he said.

"We're looking at something chemical, and radiological, to a less degree," Mr. Oakley said.

The security exercise has no link to any current threat to the Games. "For the purpose of this exercise, it is simulated that there are different groups that want to harm or draw attention. We certainly do not specify them," he said.

Several different chemicals could be used to harm a population, Mr. Oakley added. The exercise is intended to test the response of around 2,000 people in 46 different security, government and Olympic agencies and departments, he said.

The exercise does not include advice to the public on how to react to a so-called dirty bomb that spews radiological material over a neighbourhood, he said.

"If something happens, public officials will tell people what to do, whether to evacuate or what the risk is to the public," Mr. Oakley said.

British Columbians who live on the edge of an earthquake fault line are familiar with the requirements of emergency preparedness. "You should already have a supply of extra water, extra food and so on, depending where you live in the province," he said.

The security exercise, dubbed Exercise Gold, is the third and final comprehensive operation testing the co-ordination and response of the federal, provincial, regional and municipal organizations in preparation for the Winter Games. Two full-scale live-action events this week will provide a realistic environment with mock casualties but pose no risk to the public or the environment, a joint federal and provincial government news release says.

Fighter jets from the North American Aerospace Defence Command are also involved. CF-18 Hornets are to respond to a mock incursion by a civilian aircraft into restricted airspace near Olympic sites.

Mr. Oakley said the exercise will test the procedures for sharing information among the numerous agencies - the military, RCMP, health-care agencies and federal and provincial offices responsible for the environment - under various scenarios that could occur during the Games.

In addition to chemical and radiological incidents, scenarios under review include natural hazards such as heavy winter storms and flooding, and incidents such as fires.