Israel’s National Emergency Authority is holding a special drill in Jerusalem on Tuesday. Residents and tourists who notice emergency activity should not be unduly alarmed.
During the drill, the various departments in the Jerusalem Municipality will be practicing different scenarios that could occur during a time of war, including missile hits or a need to absorb mass numbers of residents from other parts of the country.
The drill will be held from 8:00am until 4:00pm. Taking part will be the municipal emergency headquarters, schools, the Jerusalem police, Magen David Adom, Home Front Command, as well as government offices in the Jerusalem district. The municipal operations room will be open during the drill and will provide solutions to every scenario practiced. It will also manage the activities of the municipal system during the drill.
As part of the drill, a siren will sound throughout the city at 10:00am, at which time all city employees and students in schools will practice safe evacuation into shelters or other protected spaces. At the same time, emergency crews will practice providing a quick response to a terror attack or fire while practicing evacuating “casualties”.
Approximately 30 vehicles belonging to the municipality will practice absorbing a mass number of residents coming from outside of the city. They will be accompanied and assisted by Jerusalem police forces.
During the drill, sirens will be sounded and a surge of emergency vehicles will be seen on city streets. Jerusalem’s residents will be asked to fill out a form on the city’s website on which they will indicate whether the siren was heard loudly and clearly in their homes.