The Canadian Forces Army Reserve unit 32 Canadian Brigade Group is travelling to Shelburne this weekend to conduct a domestic response exercise alongside the Town of Shelburne and Dufferin County.

About 500 soldiers will travel by military vehicles from Toronto to Shelburne as part of the scenario. for Exercise Steadfast Response.

Captain Julie Misquitta, spokesperson for the Brigade, said the planners of the exercise have created a mock scenario that begins with a weather-related disaster happening in Shelburne and the Canadian Forces are called because in the scenario the Toronto area emergency responders are dealing with a flu outbreak and can't respond.

"We (the CF) are called out when the other emergency crews are already overloaded." Capt Misquitta said. 32CBG, created in April

of 1997 as part of the restructuring of the Canadian Army, it is one of 10 brigade groups organized across Canada. It is an infantry-heavy brigade with 2000 soldiers in 11 units in Toronto, Aurora, Barrie, Brampton, Oakville, Mississauga and Owen Sound.

The main role of the unit is to provide well-trained reservists to enhance Canada's combat capabilities. It trains part-time soldiers to serve as a base fro national mobilization, to augment the regular force in overseas deployments and in Canada and to act as a link from the community to the military.

32 CBG is made up of reserve soldiers and a small cadre of regular CF members. Reservists train an average of one night a week and one weekend a month. Many reservists train fulltime in the summer because many of its soldiers are students.

"It's a chance for town staff to get some training on the emergency response plan," said Shara Schmidt spokesperson for Dufferin Emergency management Program. "Key staff positions will run through different scenarios and learn how to coordinate the efforts."

The exercise begins in Toronto with a "call-out", with members of the unit being called at home when the exercise begins.

They will muster at their units, receive a briefing, load the trucks and travel (using various routes) to Shelburne.

Once the soldiers arrive, several scenarios are planned including setting up a headquarters for the exercise at the legion, staging a reverse osmosis water purification unit (ROWPU) described by Capt Misquitta as "a large Britta on wheels", a mobile unit used for domestic responses. ROWPU will be set up in Fiddle Park.

The town's water treatment plant on Centennial

Street will be the site for the medics from the domestic response unit. The task force medical station is similar to a field hospital. Patrols using several G-wagons (SVUs) will be travelling on roads throughout Dufferin County.

In town, foot patrols (small groups of soldiers) will be on the streets to talk to residents and also to learn more about Shelburne.

The first meeting between the Town, the County and 32 Brigade will be a table-top exercise conducted at the Municipal Office on Friday. It will be a chance for the three groups to discuss potential emergency scenarios and possible solutions.

"It's more about communications," said Capt Misquitta, "To ensure everyone knows what is expected and the roles for each participant."

The contingent of 500 soldiers is expected to arrive on Saturday and the exercise will not include the soldiers carrying weapons or ammunition.

Members are the public are invited visit the hightech water purification system and the mobile task force.

The military responds to domestic disasters when called upon and the Canadian Forces regularly train for these events to ensure command, control and communications is understood through exercising response to natural disasters.