Air-quality emergency exercise set for Tuesday

The city is holding an air-quality emergency exercise Tuesday.

The daylong event will simulate what might happen in such an emergency.

The City of Winnipeg’s emergency social services team, the Canadian Red Cross and other partner agencies are setting up a mock clean air centre at Sergeant Tommy Prince Place (90 Sinclair St.).

Such a centre would offer residents a safe space to go if poor air quality affects the city. The exercise will allow the organization to practise the setup and delivery of support such as registration, health assessment and food services.

“The increasing number of wildfires and poor air quality from wildfire smoke we’re seeing is concerning, and we need to be prepared in the event poor air quality affects Winnipeg,” Mike Olczyk, the city’s emergency management co-ordinator, said in a news release.

The city is required to conduct regular exercises in accordance with The Emergency Measures Act.