Local officials train for hazardous materials catastrophe

The Chester County Department of Emergency Services conducted a training exercise for a simulated local hazardous materials release recently. Months of planning and coordination were required to prepare for the evening-long simulation held at Lincoln University’s Ivory V. Nelson Center for the Sciences.

A release of hazardous materials — or any significant emergency — would require collaboration by municipal officials, fire companies, local and state police, emergency management staff and hospitals. All of these were involved in the simulation.

Participants in this training exercise were: CCDES; CCDES HazMat; Union Fire Company (Oxford), Cochranville Fire Company and West Grove Fire Company; Troop J of the Pennsylvania State Police (Avondale); SCCEMS (Medic 94); Jennersville Hospital – Tower Health; Municipal elected officials and Emergency Management Coordinators (EMC) from OxREM (Oxford Regional Emergency Management) and AGREM (Avon Grove Regional Emergency Management); and Lincoln University (for the training facility).

The exercise provided a chance to train on all aspects of responding to a hazardous materials emergency, including: Effective communications to coordinate the actions of fire, police, HazMat, hospital, EMCs, EMS and elected officials; notifying and evacuating affected residents in the area; hospital decontamination practices with a surge of emergency patients and keeping the public informed during an emergency.

Many simulated factors influenced how the training exercise worked.

The nature of the fire causing the materials release had to be determined and dealt with by the fire companies. The direction and strength of the wind and the location of affected residents determined evacuation decisions and plans to assist displaced residents by the EMCs. The type of materials and their exposure determined EMS medical response and hospital decontamination decisions. The location of the incident determined how the State and local police and fire companies would respond and secure the area and manage traffic. Municipal officials had to determine how they would communicate with residents to keep them safe. The exercise gave all participants a chance to practice the actions they would take during an actual emergency.

A review by the more than 50 attendees at the end of the exercise agreed that the local fire companies, CCDES HazMat team, Jennersville Hospital and law enforcement had communicated effectively and collaborated efficiently.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Emergency responders train at the decontamination facility for the exercise at the Jennersville Hospital.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Emergency responders at a hazardous materials training exercise at Lincoln University.