Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Emergency Preparedness LEPC topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Central dispatch schedules Norfolk Southern tabletop and a 2026 full-scale hazmat exercise
Summary
Central dispatch and the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) will host a Norfolk Southern seminar next Thursday and plan a full-scale hazardous-materials exercise next June; the exercise will bring a train engine and cars for hands-on training and involve fire departments, law enforcement and schools.
Central dispatch urged council members and the public to attend a Norfolk Southern seminar next Thursday at the police department and announced plans for a full-scale hazardous-materials exercise in June 2026.
Renee, speaking for central dispatch and as a member of the Local Emergency Planning Commission (LEPC), said the seminar will be instructional and that a Norfolk Southern representative will return next June to support a multi-day full-scale exercise. The full-scale event will include an actual engine and cars that can be used in a simulated hazardous-materials incident and will involve local fire departments' hazmat teams, law enforcement, emergency management and schools.
Renee said the county receives LEPC-related funding from facilities that report hazardous-materials inventories to the state and that LEPC must meet training and exercise requirements to remain eligible for certain state funds. She noted past uses of LEPC funds to support hazardous-materials equipment purchases for local fire departments.
Officials said the seminar is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. next Thursday at the police department and will conclude before noon; the full-scale exercise next June is expected to last several days and involve multiagency participation. Council members were encouraged to attend as representatives of the county.
The announcement stressed the training value of tabletop and full-scale exercises, noting they identify operational gaps and test procedures that could require rapid emergency spending and interagency coordination.
