Local emergency crews simulate hostage situation drill

Local emergency response crews held a joint emergency drill Thursday in which they practiced working together in case a similar emergency situation were to actually occur.

During the training, crews shut down parts of Dillon Street as well as portions of First and Second streets in order to use the local facilities.

The Pocatello Police Department said this is a rare opportunity since it’s hard to find the proper facilities they can use for training.

The department’s Dianne Brush said having all of the emergency response teams together to train at the same time is crucial.

“This was phenomenal because we had so many different agencies here along with the Department of Homeland Security, and it allows them to test their preparedness, our response, and how well they can all coordinate with each other in a unified command structure,” Brush said.

Those who were attendance with the local police and fire departments were the Hostage Negotiation Team, the Region 6 Hazardous Materials Response Team, and the Department of Homeland Security.