SWFL agencies participate in hazmat training simulation

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WINK News

Several agencies participated in a hazmat training situation Thursday.

Shane Simmons, president of Cheney Brothers, partnered with the Southwest Florida Local Emergency Planning Committee for an intense hazmat training exercise.

“Other than our senior management here, nobody was notified,” Simmons said. “We treated it as a real alarm.”

A scenario involved an ammonia leak.

“All of our security staff followed our procedures rounding up everybody and putting them in our safe rooms and everything seemed to work just as it should … which is good news,” Simmons said.

A secondary emergency unfolded nearby, according to Michael Seneca, the battalion chief of Charlotte County Fire & EMS. A gas leak prompted backup from neighboring departments such as Cape Coral and Sarasota.

“This is as close to real life as we can get it,” Seneca said.

Tim Kitchen, of Advanced Planning Consultants, watched as emergency responders went through the elaborate training exercise, and took notes to improve.

“Obviously there are things that people can improve on but in general everybody did a really good job,” Kitchen said.

Kitchen said tell WINK News he hopes this intense training sends a message to the community to “know that they’re working hard to keep you safe.”

MORE: Gas leak blocks stretch of Port Charlotte road, prompts precautionary evacuations

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