By Cindy Gladden, Record Staff Writer
Warren County Emergency Management, in conjunction with the Local Emergency Planning Commission (LEPC) and the Norfolk Southern Railroad, held a tabletop exercise Wednesday, Jan. 25, at the county’s emergency operations center.More than 60 participants from a variety of first responder agencies participated in the exercise. Mike Daniels, county emergency management director, said the exercise has been in the planning stages for a few years.“We have never sat down and talked about a train derailment before,” he said. “The next step is to bring a train in and give our first responders hands-on training. We have requested a spot in 2018.”Robert Wood, assistant systems manager hazardous materials for Norfolk Southern Railroad, led the four-hour tabletop exercise. The purpose of the exercise was to challenge agencies to critique their ability to respond in a hazardous materials (hazmat) incident.“An exercise like this allows each profession to see the same incident from their perspective,” said Wood.The hazmat scenario designed for the exercise included a derailment of a Norfolk Southern train with three locomotives and 80 cars. A dump truck loaded with stone was struck at the rail crossing on Laura Street in Warrenton causing the derailment.Wood told participants that in the mock scenario all locomotives and seven cars derailed, one of which was leaking liquefied petroleum gas with a gas cloud visible.The scenario presented a variety of challenges to EMS, law enforcement, the school system, local traffic and railroad personnel.Participants broke down into teams with a variety of agencies represented at each table. Each team worked to troubleshoot the number of challenges the incident caused. Of utmost importance was the proximity to local schools and how to evacuate students safely and control parents trying to get to their children.Teams discussed the top priorities of responding to the incident, how to isolate the scene, establish a command post and setting up the most reliable staging and communication areas.Just when responders felt they had a handle on the exercise, Wood gave the teams more information to add to an already challenging scene.“An incident can change like that,” he said. “And you need to be ready for it.”Wood told participants they wouldn’t be alone if an incident occurred in Warren County, but that it could take more than an hour for resources to begin responding from the St. Louis area.“The rail system will never leave this in your lap,” he said. “We have specialized resources we will send, but you will have to maintain control until they get there.”Wood also said to respect the railroad crossings to help prevent an incident in the first place.“Trains don’t blow horns just to blow horns,” he added. “They are required to by federal regulation.”Communication challenges were also discussed by the group — not only between first responders, but to the public. Wood said the use of personal cellphones and drones pose their own problems with incorrect information that can panic the community.Daniels said the county is required to provide training exercises each year. First responders can request a variety of types of training offered.More than 60 members of area agencies attend a train derailment hazmat tabletop exercise Wednesday, Jan. 25, at the Warren County Emergency Management operation's center. Robert Wood, standing at left, conducted the four-hour tabletop exercise for local first responders and other agencies. The exercise was centered around a mock railroad incident in Warrenton which caused a hazardous materials leak. Record photo/ Cindy Gladden.
