Over 65 emergency response specialists and a fleet of their high tech vehicles gathered at Scheels on S. MacArthur on Tuesday to participate in Operation: Power Play, a coordinated statewide effort to sharpen communication efforts between the public and private groups charged with helping those in need from natural disasters.

The statewide effort involves nearly 500 people and takes nearly 2 years to organize.

AMEREN Emergency Response Director, Tony ONeil, says this is the 10th such event inspired by the flaws in the systems revealed by the events of 9-11.