The Centre Region and Penn State emergency management offices will partner for a joint emergency operations exercise Oct. 17.

The exercise will test the readiness of emergency operations staff and plans should a major disaster occur.

As part of the exercise, the region’s notification and alert plan will be tested, and residents will receive a notification via phone, radio and/or television. Residents enrolled in the CodeRED notification program will also receive the information via cell phone. Social media alerts will be sent via the region’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.

To prepare for emergencies, residents are encouraged to visit the Centre Region Ready website, crcog.net/EM, to download the Family Emergency Preparedness Guide. Copies also are available at municipal offices and the Centre Region Council of Governments office.

The guide offers information on how to prepare for a disaster and a list of important phone numbers.