Brunswick County officials simulate hazmat emergency

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Brunswick county EMS is practicing a drill for a large scale hazmat incident.

The drill started around 7 p.m. Tuesday causing some traffic delays near Sunny Point.

With a nuclear plant nearby, Brunswick County EMS director Scott Garner said this drill is something Brunswick County prepares for constantly. This time was a little different, because it was bigger. State, county, and local officials simulated a large scale emergency.

In this scenario, a rail car and a tractor trailer carrying hazardous material collided at the Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point.

Garner said this kind of incident takes more time to handle, because of the dangerous chemicals.  He said first responders have to evaluate the area several times and get victims out as quickly as possible, but the whole situation could take days to control.

Garner said all of the local and county crews have to know how to deal with dangers at every turn.

“Right off the bat, you’re dealing with a chemical or whatever the product is that you’re dealing with,” Garner said. “You’re having to wear suits that are specially designed to deal with that and you’re working around pieces of equipment that have been involved with an incident or an accident that may have jagged metal.”

Garner stressed that all Brunswick County residents should sign up for the county’s CodeRED alert system to get all emergency or evacuation notifications.