Friday, December 6, the Guelph Fire Department will participate in a hazardous materials simulated emergency response and training exercise at FloChem, located at 6986 Wellington Road.
The mock scenario will take place from 8 a.m. to noon in the company’s distribution yard and signs will be posted to alert neighbouring businesses and drivers in the area that there is a training exercise being conducted.
As part of the exercise, firefighters will respond to a mock incident involving a transport trailer truck with a chemical leak.
To make the situation as real as possible, training officers will simulate a hazardous materials spill and use a smoke machine to produce the vapour that would normally be given off. Crew members will wear full protective suits to complete the drill.
The team will be tasked with identifying the problem and type of chemical the truck is carrying, contacting the Canadian Transport Emergency Centre to report the spill, preparing for evacuations, and containing the leak.
“This training exercise gives our hazmat team a hands-on opportunity to practice its response for a real hazardous materials spill,” says Craig Bottomley, a training officer with the Guelph Fire Department.
The department’s training division conducts a number of training exercises each year to prepare firefighters for emergency situations. Friday’s exercise is part of a two week training program for 20 firefighters undergoing the National Fire Protection Association’s 472 standard training as hazmat technicians. This will bring the total number of Guelph firefighters trained as technicians to 36. All firefighters receive operations level training for dealing with hazardous materials.