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Working together

Emergency responders conduct hazmat drill in Marshall

Photo by Deb Gau Firefighters and emergency medical responders from North Memorial Ambulance prepared a dummy, representing a person exposed to ammonia, for transport to Avera Marshall Medical Center. Tuesday’s drill involved local firefighters, police and emergency medical responders, the Southwest Chemical Assessment Team, Schwan’s Company, and Avera Marshall

MARSHALL — Lights were flashing and alarms were sounding outside the Schwan’s ice cream plant as a crew of firefighters with masks and oxygen tanks got ready to enter the building. The county dispatcher’s call said there had been a release of ammonia inside, and one person was down. With a hose and a stretcher at the ready, the firefighters disappeared inside the plant for a few minutes.

The ammonia leak wasn’t real, but area emergency responders were making their responses as real as they could during a safety drill conducted Tuesday evening. The drill brought together the Marshall Fire and Police Departments, North Memorial Health, the Southwest Chemical Assessment Team, Schwan’s Company, Lyon County Emergency Management and Avera Marshall.

“It’s a good opportunity for all of us,” said Dan DeSmet, manager of North Memorial Ambulance services in Marshall. Emergency responders got to practice using hazmat equipment and working together with local agencies, like they would during a real chemical leak.

A similar drill was held at the Schwan’s convenience foods plant in 2017. But local responders said a few things were changed up this year. There was a different plant location, for one.

“This time, we’re working with the hospital folks as well,” DeSmet said. Avera Marshall Medical Center would be another important responder in the event of a real emergency.

Peggy Dunblazier, emergency preparedness coordinator at Avera Marshall, said the scope of this year’s drill was a little broader as well.

“We’re going to be transporting one ‘victim’ to the hospital, and we will have additional players,” representing people who were also exposed to the ammonia, she said. “So we’ll have several people to deal with.”

As Dunblazier was speaking, emergency responders were busy preparing a decontamination area farther back from the Schwan’s plant. When firefighters emerged from the plant, they were carrying a dummy on their stretcher — representing the victim of the chemical leak. Both the firefighters and the ‘victim’ went through decontamination, getting sprayed with water to help wash off any chemicals they may have come in contact with.

The dummy was swapped for a real person — another drill participant — before he was taken to an ambulance, and on to a different part of the drill.

Drill organizers said Tuesday’s event was an important experience for emergency responders and for safety at the plant and in Marshall. Anhydrous ammonia can be used as a refrigerant, but it’s dangerous if spilled or released into the air.

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