Mower County Emergency Management is preparing for the worst — just in case, that is.

An emergency exercise will start at 9:05 a.m. this Thursday with the sheriff or police identifying a suspicious package, contacting the fire department, shutting down power to the Mower County Govern-ment Center and evacuating that building until 11 a.m.

Each year Mower County Emergency Management runs a similar full-scale exercise that tests many facets of emergency response and recovery by engaging departments such as police, fire or public works. Local emergency personnel train for specific crises, and this year the committee decided to test three objectives: emergency power generators, evacuation/temporary work area for county employees, and communication.

Lammey said an emergency management committee that comprises of the sheriff, police chief, fire chief, health and human services, public works and Mayo Clinic Health System in Austin meets bi-monthly to review such processes and choose a practice scenario for each year. This year’s scenario partly stems from a fall 2011 major power outage in Austin. Because of that, practice is necessary, says Amy Lammey, Mower County emergency management coordinator.

“They are vital for an emergency response,” she said.

Public works officials will transport employees on Thursday to the Public Works Building that is set up with a generator and will also brief employees about what to do in case they are exposed to highly concentrated chlorine, such as in a suspicious package scenario.