The Cole County Health Department will be closed on Thursday to allow staff to participate in the agency's two-day emergency preparedness exercise Wednesday and Thursday.
Health department officials said the exercise will allow them to test the implementation of emergency management procedures and protocols, fine-tune their emergency plan and practice with other response partners.
The exercise will be held in collaboration with all health departments located in the central part of Missouri including the counties of Audrain, Boone, Callaway, Camden, Cooper, Gasconade, Howard, Miller, Moniteau, Montgomery, Morgan, and Osage counties.
At the exercise, county health officials and local emergency management members along with other officials will exercise a flood event scenario.
Part of the two-day exercise includes the set-up of tents, generators and mobilization of this region's emergency truck and trailer.