The Canadian Armed Forces will be doing a unique training exercise in May in the Huron and Bruce County area.
The Huron County OPP will be assisting with the exercise, called Trillium Venture, managing traffic flow and ensuring the armed forces have what they need to complete the training. Constable Craig Soldan says the exercise will be simulating an extreme heat scenario.
"Kind of a realistic training exercise where they'll do wellness checks, simulated search and rescue operations, establish a cooling centre, just in the event that there was extreme heat. It is unique, we haven't seen this here before, it's interesting and I think it's good training for the armed forces personnel and we're glad to be a part of it," Constable Soldan stated.
Soldan says if that scenario happened in real life the OPP would respond in kind alongside fire services and paramedics.
"We'd provide any cooling areas that might be available in our communities if those were set up, and then we would be assisting emergency personnel, and if required if the military has to come back and move residents from one location to another, certainly those that have mobility issues, we would assist with safe traffic flow along the highways, and just anything else that was needed," explained Soldan.
Also, Soldan emphasizes this is simply a training exercise, and the public need not be alarmed.
"I think the main message for the public is to not be alarmed if they see the military vehicles. There's a lot going on in the world right now and we don't want people to get concerned of worried. It's got nothing to do with anything other than just training and it's just a good exercise for personnel to get out just in case they're needed in real time," Soldan added.
Constable Soldan says the exercise will happen May 3-5 and people may see armed forces personnel and vehicles in the Wingham, Goderich and Hensall areas.