Lexington Emergency Management conducts sheltering exercise

Legendary Green Bay Packer Coach Vince Lombardi told his players one day: “Practice does not make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.”

That’s why Lexington Emergency Management practices and exercises its various missions throughout the year so we’re ready for just about anything.

An important part of our emergency and disaster response efforts is the ability to open community shelters for those people and pets who have to leave their homes due to power outages, flooding or other events that make staying at home uncomfortable or impossible.

Lexington Emergency Management along with the American Red Cross, the  Fayette County Health Department, Fayette Animal Care and Control and Lexington Police recently practiced setting up an emergency shelter at Centenary United Methodist Church. More than 100 volunteers simulated residents needing shelter. Stuffed animals simulated pets that needed to be sheltered separately.

Here’s the video that shows what happened that morning.