A national security, full-scale exercise will be conducted Saturday in Austin.

Ten different public safety, emergency services and health agencipoes will participate.

"Homeland security issues will be involved," said Terese Amazi, Chief Deputy of the Mower County Sheriff's Department. "Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on America, one of the things local agencies have asked to do is prepare for a possible bio-terrorism attack.

"Typically, our mock disasters have been a school bus accident or something like that, but this one is different."

Amazi is the heir apparent to Bob Nelson, the city and Mower County emergency management director. Amazi and Nelson have coordinated the mock disaster, which will involve a hostage situation and an accident with multiple injuries.

According to the pair, the purpose of the exercise is to test the response capabilities of local emergency responders and public safety agencies in the handling of a multi-agency response to terrorist threats and multiple-injury bus and automobile accidents.

Other priorities involve developing a "working Incident Command System" and establishing the appropriate triage system for first responders and EMS personnel.

There will also be evaluation, treatment and transportation of injured victims to the appropriate medical treatment facilities.

Ten victims will be involved in the exercise.

Agencies involved in the exercise include Austin Police Department, Mower County Sheriff's Department, Austin Fire Department, Gold Cross Ambulance Service, Austin-Mower County Law Enforcement Center 911 emergency communications division, Austin Medical Center, Mower County chapter of the American Red Cross, Salvation Army Austin Corps and both the Mower County and Minnesota Departments of Public Health.

There will be both an individual agency critique Saturday, following the exercise as well as a formal critique afterwards by the emergency management co-directors and other personnel.

Amazi and Nelson issued the advance notice of the full-scale exercise so the community will not be alarmed by the activities.

The exercise begins at 9 a.m. Saturday in the Marcusen Park parking lot. The hostage situation will be acted out in a house nearby.

Any citizens desiring to observe the training are asked to stay clear of the site and watch from a distance.

Lee Bonorden can be contacted at 434-2232 or by e-mail at lee.bonorden@austindailyherald.com