The Ross County Emergency Management Agency will conduct a full scale emergency exercise near the beginning of May. The exercise will take place at 9am on Saturday, May 5th at the Emergency Response Training Center on the campus of Ohio University Chillicothe and at Adena Regional Medical Center.
"Every four-year cycle, we have to conduct training exercises," said Ross EMA Assistant Director, Linda Wood. "Last year was the end of our last four-year cycle and we ended with a full scale exercise. This cycle we decided to begin with a full scale."
The imagined scenario for that morning's drill will involve a simulated chemical spill at the overpass on State Route 180, next to Zane Trace Local Schools. The scenario involves the derailment of a train hauling crude oil at the overpass, which causes a leak sending oil off the overpass and on to an Adena school bus below which is on its way to Zane Trace for a school basketball game.
"We are involving the schools in this," said Wood. "They have certain criteria they have to meet as far as drills so this will allow them to check that off their list, Zane Trace and Adena."
The training scenario will mostly take place on the OU-C campus, except for the treatment of simulated patients which will take place at Adena Regional Medical Center. Students from Zane Trace and Adena High Schools will act as patients and evacuees.