Photo by Deb Gau Participants in an emergency response drill at the Schwan’s convenience food plant suited up with protective gear. The drill Thursday evening simulated an ammonia leak at the plant.

MARSHALL — It was only a drill, but the call that went out over the Lyon County dispatch’s radio on Thursday afternoon was serious nonetheless. It described a release of ammonia at the Schwan’s convenience foods plant. One plant employee had been exposed to the ammonia, and was down, the call said.

At that point, local emergency response agencies and Schwan’s employees all went into action.

While there wasn’t an actual emergency, Thursday’s drill had an important purpose, participants said. It was an opportunity to practice responding to a hazardous chemical leak.

“This is the first time we’ve held an ammonia drill at the convenience foods plant,” said Marshall Fire Chief Marc Klaith. The exercise brought together Schwan’s staff, the fire department, North Memorial Ambulance, the CAT Team, and Lyon County Emergency Management.

The drill played out like a real chemical release response, although a bit slower, to give newer responders a chance to learn what to do. Three trucks from the Marshall Fire Department pulled into a parking lot outside the plant, joined by ambulances and the Southwest Minnesota Chemical Assessment Team. Meanwhile, a group of Schwan’s employees were “evacuated” to a safe distance from the plant.

Emergency responders assessed the situation and planned how to approach the mock ammonia leak and unconscious plant worker. A group of both emergency responders and Schwan’s employees were fitted with hazmat suits and other protective gear, as they prepared to enter the building.

Klaith said the chemical response drill was important for safety at the plant, and in Marshall. Anhydrous ammonia can be used as a refrigerant, but it is also dangerous if spilled, or released into the air. Klaith said emergency responders hoped to hold ammonia drills on a regular basis in the future, possibly a couple times a year.