OTTAWA-Franklin County is one of 18 Northeast Kansas counties participating in hap-hazardous material training today. The training includes participation from the Ottawa Fire Department, Franklin County Emergency Management, Franklin County EMS, and Ransom Memorial Hospital. The training exercises how the county would respond to a case of contaminated peoples. All of the “victims” are contaminated by the same chemical, but the crews are put to the test in figuring out what that chemical is. Franklin County Emergency Management Director, Alan Radcliffe, said the training serves many purposes.
“It’s a good opportunity for all of us to come together and practice something we don’t do very often, and just to work together and communicate together,” Radclffe said. “Our number one problem it seems like on every, whether it’s an exercise or real –world emergency, is communication. I don’t care if communication takes place face-to-face, or with radio, but those are things we want to watch to make sure it actually works for us.”
The training is funded by a federal grant through the kansas Division of emergency management.
Tuesday, July 17, 3:02 p.m