First responders and officials from Clinton County and statewide agencies embraced new and innovative approaches to handling situations involving hazardous materials.
On Saturday, Oct. 26, the Clinton County Local Emergency Planning Committee hosted a comprehensive tabletop exercise at the Frankfort Police Department to aid local and state emergency response teams and officials with training. The event saw the teams work through a simulated hazardous materials incident where they focused on refining coordination, resource deployment and communication strategies for a unified and effective response.
Participants of the training included members of Clinton County Central Dispatch, Clinton County EMS, Clinton County Emergency Management, Clinton County Commissioners, Clinton County Council, Clinton County Health Department, Frankfort Fire Department, Frankfort Police Department, IU Health Hospital, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, the Integrated Public Safety Commission, the Indiana Fire Marshal’s Office, Michigan Township Volunteer Fire Department, Mulberry Police Department and Rossville School Corporation. The Clinton County Coroner and Mayor of the City of Frankfort were also in attendance.
The tabletop exercise simulated a hazardous materials release requiring coordinated, timely action from each participating agency. Each group contributed its specialized resources and knowledge, navigating critical decision-making processes to assess strengths and areas for improvement in addressing public health, safety, and environmental risks. Committee Chairperson Ed Cripe commented about the training.
“This exercise is essential to ensuring we are ready to respond as a unified team during a real emergency,” Cripe stated. “Collaborating with our state and local partners, school officials, and HAZMAT response teams has strengthened our collective ability to protect our communities effectively and efficiently.”
During the training, Bill Huffer of the Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office led discussions on the potential impacts on community safety, communications and activation of evacuation or shelter-in place protocols, the Frankfort Fire Department HAZMAT team provided insights on managing responses and Clinton County Central Dispatch managed the flow of information among agencies.
Representatives from the Indiana State HAZMAT teams, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and the Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office offered guidance on hazardous material containment and safe handling practices.
