City of Windsor launches week-long nuclear emergency preparedness drill

The City of Windsor and several regional partners will participate in a week-long emergency preparedness exercise simulating a coordinated response to a fictional nuclear event, beginning Friday.

The large-scale initiative involves Windsor Regional Hospital, the Town of Essex, the County of Essex, the Town of Amherstburg and the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit. It aims to strengthen emergency management skills, test response protocols and improve cross-border collaboration in a controlled environment.

"This exercise is essential to ensuring our emergency teams are fully prepared to protect our community in the event of a crisis," said Michael Mio, fire chief and community emergency management co-ordinator for Amherstburg.

"We are reinforcing our emergency response capabilities and strengthening vital relationships that are critical in an actual emergency."

Emergency personnel will demonstrate their skills, refine response strategies and build essential partnerships.

During the training period, residents may experience temporary closures or service interruptions:

• WFCU Centre: Partially closed to the public on March 17 and 18. Users have been notified in advance.

• Amherstburg Libro Centre: Closed to the public on March 17, 18 and 19. Team Rehab will remain open.

• Windsor Regional Hospital: Participating in emergency training on March 18. Patient care will not be affected.

• Town of Essex: No anticipated facility or service disruptions.

Residents may also see actors simulating emergency scenarios as part of the exercise.

Emily Bertram, emergency planning officer for the City of Windsor, highlighted the value of the initiative.

"This exercise plays a key role in preparing our municipal and emergency response teams for crisis situations. It has already provided and will continue to offer valuable opportunities for participating organizations to build stronger partnerships and improve response effectiveness," she said. 

The local health unit is also encouraging residents to check the expiry dates of their potassium iodide (KI) pills. These pills help protect the thyroid from radioactive iodine exposure in the unlikely event of a nuclear incident. 

The local health unit is also encouraging residents to check the expiry dates of their KI pills. These pills help protect the thyroid from radioactive iodine exposure in the unlikely event of a nuclear incident.

Residents can obtain or replace KI pills at designated distribution events:

• March 11, 2025 from 10 a.m. to  6 p.m. at Gino and Liz Marcus Community Complex, 1168 Drouillard Rd., Windsor

• March 19, 2025 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Forest Glade Community Centre, 3215 Forest Glade Dr., Windsor

KI pills should only be taken when instructed by the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit. They should be stored with a 72-hour emergency kit. Expired pills can be disposed of in household garbage or returned to a local pharmacy.

Residents are also encouraged to sign up for emergency alerts through Windsor Alerts, Amherstburg Alerts or the Town of Essex Alerts.