Flashing lights, police tape, a mobile command post, and emergency responders and their vehicles will all be part of an all-day, regional training exercise taking place in Round Rock on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Emergency responders from the City of Round Rock and throughout Williamson, Travis and Hays counties will be participating in an annual exercise designed to simulate a disaster scenario requiring regional Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives (CBRNE) Task Force Teams to work together in a coordinated response.

The exercise will include staging areas at the Dell Diamond parking lot and nearby utility facilities on U.S. 79.

Exercise participants do not want to upset the community and are asking residents near the event to communicate to friends and neighbors there is no cause for concern. Attempting to watch the exercise is not advised, as bystanders could endanger themselves and impede emergency vehicle access during training.

The exercise enables emergency responders to practice plans created in response to a request from the Governor’s Division of Emergency Management in 2005 for the development of regional response plans for Texas. For response plan purposes, Texas has 24 regional councils of government (COG).  The counties of Bastrop, Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, Fayette, Hays, Lee, Llano, Travis and Williamson make up the Capital Area Council of Governments (CAPCOG).