Skokie, Ill. - September 28, 2007 - Fire engines, ambulances and squad cars. Helmets, masks and hoses. 357 co-workers evacuating a large building in an orderly fashion.
On Thursday, September 6, 2007, Forsythe Technology, Inc., a North American IT infrastructure integrator, conducted a mock disaster drill at the corporate headquarters in Skokie, Illinois.
Going far beyond typical semi-annual evacuation drills, a disaster scenario was staged with mock victims and coordinated response from local fire, police, and rescue teams with equipment and full gear. The drill was developed by Forsythe’s own disaster recovery and incident management experts, working in conjunction with Skokie fire and police department emergency responders and an emergency management coordinator from a nearby regional hospital. The entire exercise was also observed by representatives from Forsythe and the participating agencies, all of whom provided feedback after it was completed.
The objectives of the drill were:
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To test the company’s corporate headquarters emergency response plan.
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To enable management and all employees to practice their emergency response procedures.
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To give local emergency responders an opportunity to further their own training.
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And finally, to create a film of the event that could be used to educate and inform public agencies and private sector businesses, disaster recovery professionals and emergency responders.
In conjunction with National Fire Prevention Week 2007, whose theme is “Practice Your Escape Plan,” Forsythe is sharing this film with many businesses and organizations and making it available to the public via the company’s website.
Click here to see the 8-minute film. 
