Over three dozen emergency responders and state agencies gathered Monday to complete a special exercise that aims to help coordinate better responses to hazardous emergencies.

The Transportation Community Awareness and Emergency Response or TRANSCAER Exercise aimed to put the first responders in a scenario that endangered the lives of the community, as well as created a disaster. The responders then worked together to come up with a strategy to coordinate and handle the situation.

“This training exercise is for first responders to respond to transportation emergencies that involve hazardous materials,” said Mark Nalesnik, Carbon County Emergency Management Agency coordinator, who organized the exercise. “It’s important to go through the practice on how to function on one of these incidents. ... If and when it does happen for real, you already have gone through some type of response in the exercise process.”

The exercise, held at Nesquehoning Hose Company No. 1, was overseen by TRANSCAER officials who created a scenario of a Norfolk Southern train derailment at the Mermon Avenue crossing in Nesquehoning. The derailment, which included approximately 12 cars, included hazardous materials leaking, a growing gas cloud, fire and the need for evacuations from the community.

While the exercise was fictitious, it could happen. In February 2020, a Reading and Northern train derailed at the Mermon Avenue crossing, shutting down the road for a day until crews removed the empty rail cars.

“It’s made to create a realistic approach to a problem,” said John McArdle, Nesquehoning Hose Company fire chief.

Nalesnik said that in the exercise, various hazardous materials were used because the hazardous material dictates how emergency responders approach the scene.

“The product dictates everything,” he said.

In this training case, evacuations were necessary and monitoring the air quality of Jim Thorpe was required because of the way the wind was blowing and a thunderstorm rolling into the area. It was fast-paced and included very realistic issues.

The responders and agencies worked for approximately three hours to create a response that helped solve the problem.

Nick Ferroli, owner and CEO of Compliance Associates Inc., who served as the facilitator for the exercise, said that the scenario aimed to create stress and confusion so responders could properly mitigate problems that could arise.

After the event, Nesquehoning Councilwoman Abbie Guardiani said she was surprised at the response needed.

“I was invited to attend this training by John McArdle (Nesquehoning Hose Company fire chief),” Guardiani said. “I really had no idea what to expect. I am so glad to have participated. Seeing first hand the amount of knowledge and training it takes to deal with such a dangerous scenario such as a train derailment with chemical release was a real eye opener.

“I’ve always had great respect for the volunteer fire service, EMTs, emergency management and all first responders; but to be able to watch all of them come together in an exercise utilizing the National Incident Command System was very impressive. Each participant took their role very seriously and worked as one team to keep the public safe, get control of the situation, begin the process of remediation and then begin to execute the plan for recovery. Incredibly impressive to watch,” she added.

“The TRANSCAER Exercise was as realistic as possible without the danger and destruction,” Lansford fire Chief Joe Greco said. “It was a fairly fast paced, evolving and expanding incident. It was thought provoking on how first responders in the various roles in the incident command structure would mitigate the hazards they faced and would interact with the other roles.”

Greco was in charge of the operations side of the response and helped direct crews “at the scene,” mitigating the hazards. He worked closely with other groups in logistics, Hazmat research, planning and dissemination of public information.

“If I needed additional resources I would notify the command team of what was needed and then logistics would get me those resources,” he said. “Obviously this simulated train derailment was the first time I was ever responsible of directing activities to mitigate the hazards. ... The table top drill forced us to work together to achieve efficient efforts to protect the public and the environment.”