Drill helps emergency responders

Emergency response authorities said they were pleased with the outcome of the Fort Bend County Local Emergency Planning Committee's full-scale hazardous materials response exercise Wednesday.

The scenario featured a simulated hazmat incident at Champion Technologies in Fresno; however, all emergency response operations were conducted at the Fort Bend County Firefighters Association's fire training field, where an incident command post was established and response and rescue efforts occurred.

"I thought it was a success," Richmond Fire Chief Stephen Noto said. "I think it was a good learning experience. Hopefully, we'll do it again in the future."

Afterwards, participants spent time identifying strengths and weaknesses. An abstract report on the exercise will be written and be ready for the state by the end of September. The exercise was funded under a state grant from the Texas Governor's Division of Emergency Management.

The day was spent testing how well emergency response and incident management personnel from city and county government agencies, schools, hospitals and industry responded to a simulated hazardous materials scenario.

Simulated victims were transported to three area hospitals to check out their hazmat plans. Community warning and public information were tested at the Fort Bend County EOC.

Rosenberg Fire Marshal Wade Goates said he thought the drill went well and that local hazmat response teams - the east side regional hazmat response team of Sugar Land, Missouri City and Stafford and west side regional hazmat response team of Rosenberg, Richmond and Pecan Grove - learned a lot from the experience and found ways to improve.

Danny Jan, the county's assistant emergency management coordinator, also thought the drill was a success. In addition to emergency responders learning about coordinating a response to an emergency, with all the complexities that went into the drill Wednesday, they also learned how to communicate with the public, as a media area was set up with simulated press briefings conducted.

Jan said a follow-up meeting will be held Monday.

Participating response organizations include Champion Technologies; the cities of Missouri City, Richmond, Rosenberg, Stafford and Sugar Land; Fort Bend County Emergency Management; Fort Bend County EMS; Fort Bend County Health & Human Services; Lamar CISD; Memorial Hermann Sugar Land; Methodist Sugar Land; OakBend Medical Center; Pecan Grove Volunteer Fire Department; Union Pacific Railroad; and other LEPC member organizations.