[Tang-Residents] SATURDAY November 3, 2012

[Michael J Collins]

Hello
Please see the following notice below. Those who are in the high rise, higher floors, and facing north would probably see this from your window.
THIS IS ONLY A PLANNED EXERCISE!


FYI: Please distribute to all affected parties in your respective areas.  Thanks. Mitch


Notice to MIT Community Members and Neighbors located near 195 Albany Street:

On November 3, 2012, the Cambridge Fire Department is hosting a radiological response exercise as part of a larger federally supported "Urban Shield" program.  The exercise will involve hypothetical suspicious activity relating to a radioactive source.  The drill will simulate an explosion and the release of radioactivity.

MIT has a long history of working closely with Cambridge fire and police officials under simulated conditions to ensure preparedness in the event of an actual emergency.  Together, MIT and the City have trained for hypothetical threats ranging from storm surges, to the containment of contagious disease and to table top exercises involving hazardous materials.   MIT is pleased to host this particular training exercise at 195 Albany Street to which officials from neighboring towns have also been invited to participate.  In order to simulate nighttime conditions, the exercise will run in the evening as well. All of the activity will be confined to the 195 Albany Street parking lot and building, and parking for participants will be provided at 250 Albany Street.

The response teams will be staged in the parking lot adjacent to 195 Albany Street.  The hypothetical scenario will last four hours and will be repeated 4 times during the day.  The exercise will begin at 8am and conclude at midnight. Players participating in the exercise will include MIT Police, MIT Emergency Operations Center (EOC), Cambridge Police Department, Cambridge Fire Department, Boston Police Department, and other police/fire departments from the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) region (including Somerville, Revere, Brookline, Quincy), local university police department (Harvard and U-Mass Boston), and local biotech Radiation Safety Officers.  MIT Environment, Health & Safety, MIT Radiation Protection Program and Nuclear Reactor Lab personnel will also be involved.   An electronic billboard will be in place at the site to alert people that this is a simulated drill.  There will be some minor set-up and take-down activity in the parking lot Friday the 2nd and Sunday the 4th.

The following restrictions will be in place:

1.    The parking lot adjacent to 195 Albany Street  will be restricted to first responders involved in the drill.  There will be several tents, simulated decontamination stations, and other staging equipment in the lot.  There will be no use of the lot for vehicle parking on 11/3.  Participants will park in the 250 Albany Street lot.

2.    The sidewalk from the parking lot to the entrance to Albany Street entrance to the building will be restricted for the exercise.  MIT researchers from the Plasma, Science & Fusion Center (PSFC) and the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) will be permitted access to NW22.  There may be some access restrictions during actual entries by the exercise response teams.

All of the activity involved with this drill will be simulated.  If you have any questions or concerns about the training exercise on 11/3/12, please call Mitch Galanek at 617 258-9457.  Thank you for your cooperation.



Michael Collins

House Operations Manager
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Tang Residence Hall W84-104
Westgate Family Apartments
Housing Department
Office Tele. 617-253-5146
Office Fax   617-253-5094

Link for dorm repairs:
http://web.mit.edu/sapweb/PS1/facilities_home.shtml

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