Emergency response agencies from across Ocean County came together on Wednesday for a Shelter Preparedness Functional Exercise designed to strengthen emergency response capabilities and ensure readiness for future disasters.

The exercise was coordinated by the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Management in partnership with the Ocean County Health Department, Ocean County EMS Coordinators, Toms River Police Department, the American Red Cross, and multiple Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT).

Officials said the exercise provided an opportunity to evaluate shelter operations, test emergency response plans, and assess coordination between agencies during a simulated large-scale emergency. Participants successfully identified key strengths in current procedures while also recognizing areas for improvement to further enhance the county’s preparedness efforts.

The successful exercise highlighted the strong cooperation, coordination, and professionalism of all participating agencies and reinforced the importance of ongoing training to ensure residents receive effective support during disasters and other major emergencies.

Officials expressed their appreciation to the many participants, evaluators, volunteers, and partner agencies whose time and expertise contributed to the day’s success. Special thanks were also extended to the Mobile Emergency Response Kitchen (MERK) team for providing meals to all exercise participants throughout the day.