N.C. EMS Hazmat Drill Scheduled for Thursday

Aug. 09--Several fire departments and other first responders will test their preparedness this week during an emergency management drill simulating a leaking tanker truck.

The exercise, hosted by Alamance County Emergency Management and the city of Mebane, will be held from 8 a.m. to noon Thursday at the old Kidde building, 1396 S. Third St., Mebane.

The city of Mebane reported that the Alamance County Emergency Management Office received a 2015 Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness grant for $10,000. The grants are awarded annually by the state's emergency management division to local emergency planning committees.

Alamance County Deputy Fire Marshal John Payne said the county applied for it last year, too, but didn't receive it at the time.

The state emergency management division requires the county to participate in three emergency preparedness drills each year.

"If we have a live event, like a winter storm, we can count that as an event," Payne said.

This year, the county also participated in an emergency preparedness drill in March at Alamance Regional Medical Center, and another in the spring in Greensboro with Cone Health, Payne said.

On Thursday, Mebane, Haw River and Efland fire departments will be tested. Alamance County Rescue Unit, Emergency Medical Services and the Fire Marshal's Office also will participate, along with a regional hazardous material response team from the Greensboro Fire Department.

"If we ever had a major event, they would be coming in from Greensboro or Raleigh," Payne said.

The drill this week will center on a tanker leaking anhydrous ammonia. A company has allowed the emergency management office to use an empty LP tanker trunk for the drill, which will rely on smoke machines to simulate a real-life situation.

"Nothing is going to be released or the environment harmed" during the drill, Payne said.

Local departments responded to an overturned tanker in April 2014 on Interstate 40/85 in Burlington, an incident that resulted in around 300 gallons of ethanol leaking onto the road.

Payne said Alamance County Emergency Management planned to ask the N.C. Department of Transportation to place signs near the drill site Tuesday alerting the public.

"Don't be alarmed when you see all those trucks roll up," Payne said.

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