Disaster drill planned for next week

A community-wide disaster drill to test responders is scheduled for Wednesday at 9 a.m. at the railroad crossing on North Taylor Street.

According to training officials from Naval Air Station Fallon, the scenario involves an actual truck that will simulate a crash into the back of a school bus, which stopped at the crossing for a train. The impact of the crash will propel the bus into an actual train car that is carrying ammonium nitrate.

Drama students from Churchill County High School will play the injured and deceased victims.

Participants from NAS Fallon include the Search and Rescue, emergency operations center, Federal Fire Department and Fleet and Family Support.

Other agencies involved in the morning exercise include Churchill County High School, Churchill County School Bus District, Nevada Department Emergency Management, Nevada Highway Patrol, Operation Lifesaver, Union Pacific, Churchill/Fallon Fire Department, Care Flight Churchill County and Fallon emergency managements, Fallon Police Department, Fallon Public Works, Churchill County Sheriff’s Office, Banner Hospital, Kennametal and the Amateur Radio of Churchill County.

Navy officials said it’s possible Renown Medical Center and St. Mary’s Hospital, both in Reno, may be involved. Observers, though, will be nursing students from Truckee Meadows Community College Nursing Students.

Every year NAS Fallon and other agencies participate in various scenarios to include active shooters on the base, earthquake rescue and recovery and responding to a jet tanker crash.

In May 2011, a community-wide scenario involved first responders assisting the Navy with a downed jet. Seven weeks later, a real life incident involving a big rig and an Amtrak passenger train prompted a massive response from both local and federal agencies to extinguish the blaze in three passenger cars and to tend to injured passengers and crew members.