Emergency workers test out hazardous materials response in Jefferson City
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
First responders simulated a hazardous materials situation along the Missouri River in Callaway County on Wednesday.
The Boone County Office of Emergency Management as well as the Boone County Local Emergency Planning Committee held a hazardous materials response exercise in the Cedar City neighborhood from 1-4 p.m. in Jefferson City.
The two agencies partnered with Callaway and Cole counties to conduct this exercise.
"This is an opportunity for the different jurisdictions to come together and practice coordination in the event we were to have a real event here," City of Columbia spokeswoman Sydney Olsen said. "This is an opportunity for us to see how we'd coordinate and work together."
Olsen said the training was planned before the train derailment in Ohio, and took weeks to coordinate the schedules of all agencies involved.
"I think the timing right there shows you why it's important to practice these types of things," Olsen said. "We've seen some instances like the one in Ohio where there have been hazardous materials leaked and they have had to respond. Today, I think we're going to take into consideration obviously what we do here, but also as we hear about events like that, what we can practice moving forward as well."
The exercises were meant to test the emergency personnel's preparedness and efficiency in regard to:
- Notification and warning.
- Communications.
- Public safety.
- Coordination and control.
- Resource management.
The three scenarios included a truck carrying propane getting into an accident, a hazardous mixed cargo crash and a corrosive chemical crash.
No hazardous materials were used during the exercise.
Some local agencies that participated in the training included the Jefferson City Fire Department, Columbia Fire Department, Cole County Emergency Response Team, Southern Boone County Fire Protection District, Holts Summit Fire Department, Cole County Sheriff’s Office and MU Health Care.
The training comes just days after a train derailed in Ohio, causing a massive leak of dangerous chemicals.
