Emergency responders participate in mutual aid drill

Imagine an accident happening in the middle of nowhere – a desert perhaps.

What do you do?

The Idaho National Laboratory was working to make sure they were prepared for any situation. Emergency responders tested their skills at the Idaho National Laboratory desert site, in Arco.

Dozens of participants worked together to complete the goal. They focused on an accident and a fire in the middle of the desert.

The drill is centered around INL Emergency Management Department and Butte County emergency responders.

“Accident with hazmat spill, wild land fire, quite a bit going on. Challenging local resources, so we practiced how we would come together in that type of a situation,” INL Fire Chief Eric Gosswiller said.

This was the first time the INL has done a full exercise with Butte County, Gosswiller said.

The simulation is centered around INL emergency and supported by Butte County Fire, the Butte County Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Medical Services.

“I believe we met our objective,” Gosswiller said. “It’s everything from getting to know each other, to testing our communications, understanding the better ways to manage the incident, whether we unify command or other approaches.”

That is what observer Tim Williams did. He said there are not many fires each year but this drill was necessary.

The mutual aid agreement invovles 24 entities between the U.S. Department of Energy, INL’s surrounding counties and federal agencies.

“You know, it helps to utilize resources. Especially like a department like ours, we’re a small department and if we need help to come into town on a big fire, it helps to be able to call in the INL,” Williams said.

The next time this tye of drill will take place is Thursday. The INL will be partnering with the Idaho Falls Police Department.