ALBANY, N.Y., August 10 – In September, all insurance companies in the state will participate in an exercise to assess the readiness of the nations financial services to endure a pandemic flu outbreak, according to the Insurance Department.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Financial and Banking Information Infrastructure Committee, the Financial Services Sector Coordinating Council for Critical Infrastructure Protection and Homeland Security, and the Securities Industry and Financial Management Association are sponsoring the exercise, which is designed to simulate a global influenza outbreak.

The exercise is set to begin on September 24 and will last for three weeks. Participants will access a secure website from their own locations and respond to scenarios such as disruptions in transportation, communications, and telecommunications. All responses will be kept confidential.

There has never before been an exercise of this scope in the United States, and all sectors of the financial services industry will be represented. It is important that all insurance companies, both large and small alike, register to participate. By participating, insurance companies will have an opportunity to review, test and update their pandemic plans against realistic scenarios that could cause massive absenteeism, said deputy superintendent Louis W. Pietroluongo.