Local authorities were at the DeWitt County Building Tuesday for a practice exercise that will help prepare them for a main exercise with State officials in November.

On the WHOW Morning Show Tuesday, CENCOM Director Tony Harris told Regional Radio this exercise is called NARS, Nuclear Accident Reporting System. He explains local authorities from a variety of sectors are a part of this.

According to Harris, his dispatchers are getting accustomed to a new piece of technology in this that is going to make communicating much easier. He indicates this was something he had an idea for a while back and the State of Illinois was already ahead of the game.

Harris explains Tuesday's event was a test run before preparing for an actual event with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency on Nov. 14. 

Harris explains this is one of several exercises that local authorities participate in. NARS training happens every other year and he calls it one of their bigger training events.