09/01/2026
PORTAGE COUNTY EMA DRILL SEPT. 9 AT
EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER ON SR 59 IN RAVENNA
RAVENNA, OH—Residents will see increased activity at the Portage County Emergency Operations Center on SR 59 the morning of Sept. 9 when the Portage County Emergency Management Agency conducts a full-scale exercise to test critical capabilities for responding to a complex severe weather event.
Drivers may experience some traffic on SR 59 at the EOC location, 2759 State Route 59, between Ravenna and Kent, 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. The exercise is scheduled to run until 2 p.m.
A year in the planning, the exercise will bring together more than 100 local first responders to test their skills at keeping residents safe after a severe weather scenario involving a tornado and an accidental hazardous materials incident.
“We view this as an incredible opportunity to evaluate our joint preparedness training, something we do all year long. EMA is grateful to the first responders from numerous departments, the City of Ravenna and agencies in Portage County who work with us continually on strengthening our county’s response to disaster,” said Portage County EMA Director Ryan Shackelford, who will lead the exercise.
Shackelford explained that the exercise will be a full-scale drill testing all facets of the new emergency operations center, focusing on response coordination with one municipality impacted by the tornado and complicated by a developing hazardous materials incident that will require a command unit in the field.
The City of Ravenna government has agreed to be the exercise’s simulated location. Shackelford said there will be no impact on city operations nor will any drill activities take place in the city. All activities will be centralized at the EOC.
“This scenario is not far off from real life and the Windham Township tornado we experienced in 2024,” Shackelford commented. “We have the plans and the tools in place at the EOC. This drill puts that together with the training and expertise of our local first responders to provide us with a unique chance to reinforce our disaster response.”
To comply with the Ohio Revised Code, the Portage County EMA and the Local Emergency Planning Committee must conduct an annual exercise of its emergency operations plan and the requirements set forth by Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) and the State Emergency Response Commission (SERC).
Police, fire, local government and additional agencies have assigned officers and staff to participate in the exercise working on planning, decision-making, public information, logistics and disaster financial management. Portage County Commissioners and City of Ravenna officials will be intensely involved in the response process as they are faced with challenging decisions in the scenario.
Over the past six months, the exercise participants have been undertaking additional training at the EOC, which was built in 2024 and designed to support complex disaster responses. The exercise will include the testing of the Joint Information Center, a section of the facility dedicated to pushing out the public information residents need before, during and after an incident.
