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The Mayor’s Office of Homeland Security and Massport have announced that Operation Atlas has been rescheduled and will take place on Saturday, June 4, 2005 at Logan International Airport.

Operation Atlas is a consolidated real-time exercise that will simulate a terrorist hijacking of an airliner en route from Paris to Chicago. The drill will include rescue, triage, victim assistance and hospital transport. More than 50 federal, state and local agencies will participate in the exercise, along with more than 80 volunteers.

Residents should be aware that if they see a large number of emergency vehicles en route to Logan Airport on the morning of June 4, it is a drill, not an actual emergency and there is no need for concern. Residents should also be aware that the U.S. Northeast Air Defense Command will provide military aircraft for the exercise.

The purpose of this exercise is to find and close gaps in the city, state and federal emergency responses. The exercise will also reinforce cooperation among agencies and assess the Metro-Boston Homeland Security Region’s ability to respond to a high-level threat to the region’s stability and security in compliance with Federal Department of Homeland Security guidelines.

In the event of severe weather on Saturday, June 4, Operation Atlas will be rescheduled for Sunday, June 5.

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