Public Information Office
210 S. McDonald St. Suite 540
McKinney, TX  75069

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:	Susan Beckley	Leigh Hornsby
	Director of Public Information	Public Information Officer
	972-941-7307	972-548-4772

July 1, 2003

MEDIA ADVISORY - Emergency Operations Plan Activated

The City of Plano, along with Collin County, will activate its Emergency Operations Plan in a Functional Exercise (July 8 - 9) coordinated by The Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) and the National Emergency Response and Rescue Training Center (NERRTC), both out of College Station, Texas. Sponsors of the program include the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Division of Emergency Management (DEM). Funding is provided by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

This Functional Exercise is only a drill and is being used by both the City of Plano and Collin County to test our emergency preparedness in a Weapons of Mass Destruction Incident. No personnel or equipment will be deployed. It is a drill only.

We will be issuing press releases and holding media briefings during the time period of the exercise, July 8 and 9, 2003. These briefings will be held in the Council Chamber, 1520 Avenue K at regularly scheduled times. Collin County mock briefings will be presented at the University Drive Courts Facility, 1800 N. Graves Street in McKinney.

We repeat, this is only a drill. We are only testing our procedures. The media is invited and encouraged to participate in the media briefings. To participate, please email Plano Public Information Coordinator Wendy Lucas at wendyl@plano.gov or Collin County Public Information Officer Leigh Hornsby at lhornsby@collincountytx.gov.

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