On Tuesday, October 8, 2024, Skagit Regional Health Emergency Management partnered with our local and state first responders to complete a bomb threat functional exercise at Skagit Regional Clinics – Mount Vernon. This exercise involved staff from various Skagit Regional Health departments, local and state law enforcement personnel, city fire and county Disaster and Emergency Management teams.

The goal for this exercise was to test our policies and procedures and work through the challenges inherent in navigating an impactful event of this scale.

Regular drills are an important part of Skagit Regional Health’s disaster preparedness planning and help us maintain a safe environment for our patients, staff and community. This exercise was a resounding success, highlighting strengths and areas for improvement moving forward.

We would like to thank the following partners who assisted with the planning and execution of this functional exercise:

Skagit Regional Health departments: 

• House Supervisors
• Switchboard Operators
• Environmental Management Services (EMS)
• Facilities Services
• Laboratory Services
• Trauma Coordinator
• Marketing and Communications
• Security Services

Community stakeholders:

• Mount Vernon Police Department
• Mount Vernon Fire Department
• Mount Vernon Roads Department
• Washington State Patrol EOD Team
• Skagit County Disaster & Emergency Management
• Skagit County Public Health
• Northwest Healthcare Response Network