The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), in cooperation with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), will be undergoing “simulated extreme heat” training in Ontario this spring. The training, “Trillium Venture,” will take place in Huron and Bruce Counties from May 3 to 5 and will include the Huron County OPP and CAF’s 31 Canadian Brigade Group.Members of the public can expect to see military vehicles, delays in traffic, and official “wellness” checks as more than 400 military officers will be stationed in the area, which will stretch to Wingham, Blyth, Goderich, Clinton and Hensall, per the Huron Citizen. The purpose of the exercise is to “enhance inter-operability with other governmental departments as they work together to respond to a simulated extreme heat scenario,” the OPP said in a press release. The police alerted local residents they “will see the deployment of Domestic Response Companies and Territorial Battalion Group sustainment equipment and vehicles to validate the ability to deploy and sustain in real time.”“This is being done to create a more challenging, realistic training exercise, and will see soldiers conducting fire training, wellness checks, simulated search-and-rescue operations, cooling centre establishment, as well as other related activities.”The OPP will serve the military operation by managing traffic flow and making sure the participants have all they need for Trillium Venture to be a success. .Constable Craig Soldan says the exercise is meant to be a “realistic” simulation of how military would respond in an extreme heat scenario, and affirmed the exercise includes wellness checks on citizens. "Kind of a realistic training exercise where they'll do wellness checks, simulated search and rescue operations, establish a cooling centre, just in the event that there was extreme heat,” said Soldan, per CKNX News. “It is unique, we haven't seen this here before, it's interesting and I think it's good training for the armed forces personnel and we're glad to be a part of it.”The police constable said should there ever be such an extreme heat scenario in real life, the OPP would respond in tandem with CAF response, as would paramedics and fire squads. "We'd provide any cooling areas that might be available in our communities if those were set up, and then we would be assisting emergency personnel and if required if the military has to come back and move residents from one location to another, certainly those that have mobility issues, we would assist with safe traffic flow along the highways, and just anything else that was needed," stated Soldan."I think the main message for the public is to not be alarmed if they see the military vehicles. There's a lot going on in the world right now and we don't want people to get concerned or worried. It's got nothing to do with anything other than just training and it's just a good exercise for personnel to get out just in case they're needed in real time.”“All measures are being taken to ensure minimum inconvenience to those in the area. Members of the public are asked to take extra caution if approaching military vehicles and troops and are thanked, in advance, for their understanding and co-operation,” the police said in the news release.
