Waukesha County to Host Full Scale Emergency Exercise

Waukesha County residents should not be alarmed if they notice extra law enforcement and military activity from Wednesday, May 1 through Friday, May 3. The annual Statewide Interoperable Mobile Communications (SIMCOM) Exercise will take place at several county locations on those dates. Residents may notice planes, helicopters, drones, radios, and other vehicles and equipment operated as part of the exercise. They should refrain from flying personal drones during that time.

“Waukesha County’s Department of Emergency Preparedness uses exercises like SIMCOM to be prepared in case of a real emergency,” said Waukesha County Executive Paul Farrow. “This exercise will help us test how our systems communicate with state, federal, and municipal agencies to ensure the best possible outcome in any situation.”

About the 2019 SIMCOM Exercise

The 2019 SIMCOM exercise focuses on simulating strenuous testing of voice and data communication during field operations. It is facilitated by Waukesha County Emergency Management in conjunction with Wisconsin Emergency Management and the Wisconsin National Guard. Now in its 12th year, SIMCOM is one of the premiere communications exercises in the Midwest, as evidenced by a growing number of out-of-state participants from year-to-year.

About the Office of Waukesha County Emergency Preparedness

The mission of the Department of Emergency Preparedness to ensure that county and local governments have emergency response plans in place with information sharing capabilities to quickly respond to all types of disasters, personal safety and security situations. The essence of the mission is to provide state of the art telecommunications and information technologies, so emergency personnel can provide the highest level of response possible.