MEDIA ADVISORY

TO:         News Directors, Editors

FROM:    Renee Hoffman Director of Public Affairs

RE:          Exercise Capital Guardian– Saturday, December 11, 2004

                Press Briefing – Thursday, December 9 – 10:00 a.m.

This Saturday, December 11, the Department of Crime Control & Public Safety, in conjunction with the State Capitol Police, State Bureau of Investigation, the Wake County Sheriff’s Office and Wake County Emergency Management, and the Raleigh Police and Fire Departments will conduct a security exercise in the state government complex in downtown Raleigh. The purpose of “Exercise Capital Guardian” is to test the command, control and communication procedures in the downtown security plan developed to respond to a terrorist threat or attack. The plan has gone through several table top exercises but is being put through a full scale exercise for the first time.

A press briefing on the exercise will be held Thursday, December 9 at 10:00 a.m. at the N.C. Division of Emergency Management offices in the basement of the Administration Building at 116 W. Jones Street. At that time, we will brief reporters on details of the exercise and provide you with times and locations where activities will be taking place on Saturday.

During the exercise, law enforcement officers will be stationed throughout the state government complex, therefore we need your help to let the public know that Capital Guardian is just a drill. In addition, a portion of Wilmington Street will be blocked from 12:30 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. and traffic re-routed to accommodate exercise activities. The exercise should not interfere with holiday activities going on in downtown Raleigh.

If you have any questions prior to the press briefing on Thursday, please call our office at 733-5027.