Hillsborough Municipal Complex host exercise to care for disabled in the event of an emergency.
HILLSBOROUGH -- Taking steps to ensure that those with disabilities are cared for during a disaster, the Alliance Center for Independence and the Somerset County Office of Emergency Management held their second emergency shelter overnight simulation exercise on Friday at the Hillsborough Municipal Complex.
The overnight drill began at 5 p.m. and is running through 9 a.m. Saturday.
Approximately 50 people with disabilities volunteered to spend a night at the shelter, which was staffed by volunteers from a number of Somerset County agencies engaged in emergency response operations during a crisis.
Last year, the Alliance Center for Independence hosted an emergency shelter overnight simulation at Rutgers University.
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Participating agencies included the Somerset County Office of Emergency Management, the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, local social service agencies and other stakeholders. Funding for the simulation is provided by PSEG.
The exercise was geared toward making shelter volunteers aware of the specific needs many people with disabilities have and how to meet those needs in an emergency sheltering operation.
For additional information about the event or about services for the disabled, call the Alliance Center for Independence at 732-738-4388 or visit www.adacil.org.Dave Hutchinson may be reached at dhutchinson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DHutch_SL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.