TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KLIX) The public should not be alarmed next week at Magic Valley hospitals if they see a little more activity than normal. St. Luke's Magic Valley health system will conduct an emergency exercise on Tuesday beginning at 9 a.m. and go to early afternoon.

The South Central Public Health District along with St. Luke's Jerome and Wood River Valley will participate in a mock emergency response to an Ebola outbreak. Hospital staff, emergency managers, and first responders will join in the training exercise. Hospital officials say the event will not impact the regular hospital operations including the emergency department.

“The purpose of the exercise is to test the response and training of the staff members. It is important to have disaster response plans in place and to conduct disaster drills periodically for improvement and training purposes,” Trish Heath, Emergency Management Coordinator for St. Luke’s Magic Valley, said in a prepared statement. Officials say the exercise will allow the groups who participate to evaluate their capabilities in responding to emergency situations.

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