CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Visitors heading to the Tennessee Aquarium on Wednesday morning will need to wait an extra hour, as the downtown attraction pushes back its opening so Chattanooga police and other first responders can practice emergency response inside and around one of its buildings.
The Chattanooga Police Department is leading the exercise, joined by other local emergency agencies. The drills are planned from 7 a.m. until 11 a.m. and will be centered on the River Journey building, the aquarium said in a notice to the public.
Because the training overlaps with the start of the business day, the aquarium is shifting its hours by 60 minutes. Guests with plans for an early visit should arrive later than usual, and people who live or work nearby may notice police and emergency vehicles around the riverfront building during the morning.
Training of this kind lets officers and rescue crews learn the layout of a large public venue before they ever face a real emergency there. Rehearsing in a busy, crowded space can help crews work out how they would move through exhibit halls, reach people quickly and coordinate with venue staff.
The setting matters. The aquarium first opened in 1992 and was the largest freshwater aquarium in the world when it debuted. Today it draws roughly 1 million visitors a year and anchors the city’s downtown riverfront, making it one of the most heavily visited spots in Chattanooga.
No changes to the rest of the day’s schedule were announced, and regular operations are expected to resume once the drills wrap up late in the morning.
Section: More Chattanooga TN crime news
Filed under: Chattanooga TN Public Safety News
