Unalaska, AK – The community will participate in an emergency sheltering exercise tomorrow. The simulated scenario is a volcanic eruption in Akutan wherein people had to evacuate that island and seek shelter here. It's unclear when the volcano will theoretically erupt, but when it does the Department of Public Safety will set up a communications center. Then, around 4 pm, 20 students will go to the PCR to play the role of the evacuees. They will check into the simulated shelter with only the clothes on their backs. PCR director Jeff Hawley said each evacuee will register, be assigned a cot, and be given all of the toiletries and supplies needed for staying over night.

"We're gonna try to run it like a regular shelter would be," he said. "When you come in to register, you'll be asked about medical problems. Some people may need medications that they don't have, that they left behind. That's why the doctors are here. Some of the kids will be filling out that stuff. The doctor will take them into a private area and talk to them and try to go through a real simulation of what could happen."

Doctors and mental health counselors will be on hand to talk to anyone who needs help or who is grieving, just as they would be in a real scenario. "Some of them [the evacuees] could have lost a loved one or some of their animals could have been left behind. A lot of people need to talk a lot about that stuff when you have shelters."

The students will stay in the PCR over night. Just as in a real emergency shelter, they will eat military produced MREs, or meals ready to eat, and will sleep on cots and use provided toothbrushes. They'll also learn about local services and can talk to providers at any time. Public safety officers will be around all night in case of incidents as well.

Unlike normal shelters, the boys and girls will sleep in separate spaces, the two different racquet ball courts. And they will all get CPR certified and learn basic first aid skills. Hawley said the sheltering exercise is a good chance to teach the students basic things they need to know for survival and helping others. After their classes, they can watch movies and eat snacks. They'll leave the next morning.

Hawley said this is the first time they've run a drill like this in Unalaska. It will help the city know how to set up an emergency shelter, but it does not include all of the scenarios from a real emergency.

"Things that you need to consider in shelters that we're not doing at this time include what do you do with animals. Animals are a big issue that shelters are dealing with right now. They found that in [Hurricane] Katrina, when they had lots of animals and people wouldn't even leave the tops of their roofs without dogs going with them or cats."

He said that down the line they will also have to figure out what to do if the power goes out for the entire city, if the water treatment plant can't operate and we run out of drinking water, or if the bridge is destroyed and getting to the airport is more difficult.

This initial sheltering simulation will help establish the beginning of an emergency preparedness plan that city staff will continue to develop. For the exercise and future real emergencies, the city purchased 20 cots and bedding materials. They are working with the Red Cross out of Anchorage, and two of their representatives will be in town for the scenario.

The PCR will be closed from noon on Friday until noon on Saturday. All notices of a shelter or a volcanic eruption will be part of the simulation unless otherwise noted. Other communities around the state, including in and near Anchorage, are simulating a response to a large earthquake.