On Oct. 28, our community responded in a massive collaborative effort as a full scale evacuation drill took place at the Good Samaritan Society-Mount Carroll. Planning for this emergency exercise began 2 years ago as GSS staff and the local emergency management team met regularly to strengthen our disaster plan with intense focus on planning for the center’s drill for the past 6 months.
The emergency evacuation drill was successfully and safely completed and would not have been possible without the unified efforts of the following: the Carroll County Emergency Management Team, Greg Miller – Carroll County Emergency Services & Disaster Agencies coordinator, first responders from Mount Carroll, Savanna, Thomson, Lanark, Shannon, Chadwick, Milledgeville, Stockton, Mount Carroll Police, Carroll County Sheriff, Illinois State Police, Mount Carroll Fire Department, Savanna Fire Department, Thomson Fire Department, Charles’ Farm, Carroll County Transit, West Carroll School District and Carroll County Health Department.
We thank the Church of God for providing a place of shelter for the evacuation and the ladies of the Church of God for providing lunch for 200 first responders and volunteers. We are grateful for the tremendous response during this full-scale evacuation drill from GSS staff, family members and friends for serving as stand-ins for our residents, GSS Advisory Board and GSS Auxiliary members. Thank you to our neighbors for your cooperation and understanding.
Again, a huge thank you to all emergency management team members, GSS staff, volunteers and community partners for participating in this amazingly well-organized evacuation drill. We will use what we have learned to strengthen our emergency plan to ensure the safety of our residents, staff and community.