Hidalgo County first responders participate in full-scale hazmat drill

McALLEN — At 9 a.m. promptly, Hidalgo County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) Chair and city of Alton Fire Chief Gus Ramirez called for those in attendance to gather around him so he could share a few words before the full-scale hazmat scenario drill kicked off.

Ramirez stood on the steps of a Texas Department of Public Safety mobile command unit stationed in the command post and safety area as he addressed representatives from multiple organizations and agencies.

He thanked everyone for being in attendance before going through a brief description of what would be taking place there at the Sharyland Water Supply Corporation Water Treatment Plant 2, located at 12200 North Ware Road.

“Our goal is that we can train and collaborate with other stakeholders, and that’s what we came here to do,” Ramirez said. “Part of our exercise is to test the communications, test the collaboration and response of the responders, and above all else, this provides the safety for the public that we serve.”

Attendees were advised to stay within the assigned area where a full view of the full-scale exercise could be observed from a safe distance.

At just after 9:30 a.m., a dispatch could be heard over the radio, signaling the beginning of the drill.

“Simulated hazmat call at 12115 North Ware Road,” the dispatcher said. “It’s going to be at the Sharyland Water Plant for a chemical spill.”

A few minutes later, sirens could be heard as a truck from the McAllen Fire Department pulled onto the scene. Firefighters exited the truck in full gear, making a few adjustments to their breathing apparatuses, before walking up a short hill to a small building with various pumps surrounding the exterior.

One of the firefighters walked around the perimeter of the building while the other picked up an adult-sized dummy and carried it back down the hill.

As the drill went on, more agencies from the surrounding communities arrived, including the Edinburg Fire Department and the Pharr Fire Department. In all, there were close to a dozen agencies and organizations participating in Wednesday’s drill.

Ramirez described the coordinated drill as a regional response, with each department and organization designated with a different task to mitigate the staged chemical leak.

“So today we came together as the Hidalgo County Local Emergency Planning Committee to mitigate a scenario with a hazardous materials release,” Ramirez said. “Part of our responsibility is to not just train and educate the first responders, but also be ready for the community and notify the community when there’s a hazardous materials incident.”

He said that one of the main lessons learned through the exercise is how to better communicate amongst the other departments and work together should there be a real hazardous scenario.

Ramirez estimated that there were between 70 and 100 first responders participating in the exercise. The entire drill was estimated to take roughly three hours.

“So far, it’s going really good,” Ramirez said. “So I know I’ve been monitoring the whole exercise. We have evaluators and controllers that are monitoring this exercise, and everything’s going smoothly right now. Now, in an actual scenario such as the one we’re practicing today, it will be a couple of hours before we bring it under control.”

Ramirez said that these types of drills tend to be practiced at least once a year through tabletop exercises or full-scale exercises like the one on Wednesday.

He said that there are already plans for another similar type of drill in the near future.

“The goal is to always get better and be able to do a smooth and fast response,” he said.

To see more, view staff photographer Joel Martinez’s full photo gallery here:

Photo Gallery: Hidalgo County first responders participate in full-scale hazmat drill