Town of Coaldale hosts mock train derailment to prepare for potential disasters

The Town of Coaldale, in partnership with CP Rail, hosted a mock emergency exercise to help prepare and plan for a disaster situation.

Coaldale Deputy Fire Chief Clayton Rutberg explained what the mock scenario was.

“A semi trailer has run into the train as it was going through the crossing and we have four anhydrous ammonia cars that are derailed and are leaking.”

It’s just a hypothetical but it could quickly become a reality in many communities across Canada with trains travelling through them.

The town and its neighbouring emergency responders are using the mock emergency exercise, in a controlled environment, to work out the kinks.

Rutberg said more than 10 different agencies took part because dealing with major incidents is always a team effort.

“Most places are small enough that nobody can do this on their own; we need our partners to be able to pull something of this scale off whether it’s a real event or an exercise.”

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Dustin Ritter is a Hazardous Materials and Emergency Response officer with CP Rail. He said it’s important to make scenarios as realistic as possible so that all involved are as best prepared as they can be if disaster strikes.

“You want to have something that would be a real-world incident and give you the ability to test, like they are doing here today, as emergency operations centre, command post, and to see what the other resources and other agencies are bringing.”

Ritter said CP Rail helps conduct hundreds of exercises like this one in municipalities and communities across the map every year.