(Le Mars) — A car hits a train causing alarm to the community. Does that scenario sound somewhat familiar? With so many vehicle and train accidents within the community during the past few weeks and with the latest occurring in Hinton on Monday evening, the Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department conducted a rail car and vehicle accident training session held at the Well’s Enterprises sugar receiving facility on Wednesday evening. Le Mars Fire chief, David Schipper says it was a good training exercise. In addition to the fire department, Wells’ Enterprises and their employees, Union Pacific, Plymouth County Emergency Management, and the Le Mars Police Department all participated in the disaster drill. Schipper says because of the recent train and vehicle accidents, the training session was relevant.
Schipper offers an account of the procedures with the drill.
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Union Pacific Rail Company officials were participating in the drill and had a flat bed trailer
equipped with various valves to indicate to the fire officials what type of valves and levers would be found on a rail tanker car, depending upon what the tanker was hauling.
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The Le Mars Fire Chief says the training session was productive, but they did notice areas for improvement, especially with communications.
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