EMA holds haz mat training exercise

Several Highland County emergency response units participated in a mock disaster scenario over the weekend as part of a hazardous materials training exercise with the Highland County Emergency Management Agency. 

Jim Lyle, director of Highland County EMA, said that the exercise regarding hazardous controlled materials had to be completed by the end of June.

"We had a the exercise Friday (June 24)," Lyle said. "The local Emergency Planning Committee, with fire chiefs and law enforcement, put the exercise together. (The mock scenario) consisted of a reunion at Lynchburg-Clay Middle School. A female (associated) with the reunion had a boyfriend who was on the jealous side, and he was drunk and lost control of a pickup truck. The truck plowed into a propane tanker making a delivery to the school, thus creating a propane leak. He then commandeered the driver and escorted him to the gym, holding several people hostage, hoping that the girlfriend would talk to him. But the girlfriend wasn't there."

Lyle said that the Lynchburg Area Fire and EMS responded to the scene with the Lynchburg Police Department. 

"They reported a vapor cloud from the tank, and they didn't see anything but the pickup truck and the tanker, so the officers backed out," Lyle said. "In the meantime, we stated getting 911 calls from a subdivision in the area, so we knew that the propane was moving in a northeasterly direction. Other units arrived on scene and made the determination that they couldn't totally handle it, so they made a request for other units. Hillsboro Fire and Rescue responded with an engine and squad, EMS sent the hazardous materials special operations trailer, Greenfield responded with the haz mat team, and a SRT team, which is basically a SWAT team.  The subject was convinced to give up the hostages, and a couple of people were transported from the school and were 'treated' and released."

Lyle said the training exercise was an overall success, with crews responding according to training.