CLAYPOOL – While it has the plot of a summer action film, Saturday’s events in Claypool were simply those of the annual training exercise of the Kosciusko County Local Emergency Planning Committee.
Gary McDaniel serves as a safety officer and is the chair of the LEPC.
Saturday’s exercise brought in first responders and police from all around the county.
It took place at a park area in Claypool.
The scenario was that a school bus was at an intersection near a railroad track, a semi bumped the bus onto the tracks, the bus then rolls several times before coming to a stop.
On the bus are band kids, parents and teachers. All are injured. Some severely, some fatally.
The exercise took about 30 volunteers to coordinate.
ERS Trucking out of Fort Wayne brought in a tanker.
They proceeded to simulate leaking a hazardous chemical that looked awfully a lot like Mountain Dew. In reality it was just colored water.
The exercise also saw a simulated chlorine cloud.
McDaniel said emergency personnel had just one chance to get the scenario taken care of.
Follow staff writer Daniel Riordan on Twitter at @TUNews_Riordan
