Two countries come together for disaster test

Josh Thomas and Jeff Friedland

Josh Thomas and Jeff Friedland

If there was a disaster in Port Huron or in Sarnia or similar neighboring communities what would be the best way one side help the other? That essentially is what officials from both sides of the border are looking at this week in a workshop being held at the Fort Gratiot Township Hall. The experiment, called CAUSE IV, will see an actual mock exercise involving both countries. St. Clair County Emergency Management’s Jeff Friedland says the workshop will center on what might happen in a tornado incident and how resources in one country can help the other. Friedland believes there are better ways for communication and mutual assistance between bordering communities like Sarnia and Port Huron. He says sometimes something as simple as getting an ambulance across the bridge gets wrapped up in international concerns of late. The sharing of resources he says is often pushed back by border issues which could be eased in certain instances. The CAUSE IV experiment is one of a half dozen such efforts in other border towns being conducted through the efforts of the Department of Homeland Security. The workshop, being held at the Fort Gratiot Township Hall leads up to a late April test of resources with emphasis on joint warning and notification procedures, incorporating 211 on both sides of the border, and the overall sharing of data between local state, provincial, federal, and private agencies.