Hamilton County residents may notice an increased military presence this week as state and local agencies participate in a disaster-response training exercise.
The Tennessee Maneuvers 2024 exercise is set to take place from Wednesday to Sunday in Hamilton, Bradley, McMinn, Rhea and Coffee counties near Chattanooga, according to a news release.
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There will also be activity in Davidson, Knox and other counties near the Nashville and Knoxville areas.
“Expect to see a higher military presence in some areas throughout the state, primarily Davidson, Hamilton and Knox counties,” a spokesperson for the Tennessee National Guard said in the release.
Responders are set to tackle a theoretical flood in southeast Tennessee, according to the release.
They will work through scenarios including search and rescue, critical site security and infrastructure failure, a release said.
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The exercise is coordinated by the National Guard with Chattanooga police, Tennessee Valley Authority police, Knox County and the Nashville Fire Department.
“These exercises, where we operate jointly, are crucial for the readiness of our organization,” Maj. Gen. Warner Ross, Tennessee’s adjutant general, said in the release. “The more we work alongside one another, the more we get to fine-tune our policies and procedures. Building these relationships is vital to our effectiveness, and continuing to practice what we do will make all of us much better when it’s time to respond to the real thing.”
— Compiled by Ellen Gerst