Pearl firefighters had an odd start to their day Friday morning, after being out to the test with a HAZMAT scenario put on by the Mississippi Department of Health.Along with the Pearl Fire Department, other local, state, and federal agencies came to assist in the training. The scenario presented was a sarin gas attack at the State Fire Academy in Pearl. In the exercise, a subject created the gas in the dormitory.The gas was then put inside an electric mop that was dispensed inside a classroom.Brian Maske, the exercise coordinator with the Mississippi Department of Health, said this was not a pass-or-fail exercise but a coaching experience for first responders.”This is not a pass-or-fail environment. This is totally a stress-free environment,” said Maske. He said this is important for local agencies that may not have the funding to do large-scale training like this on their own.”It’s really important for these smaller agencies, you know, practice what you preach, muscle memory, training, it all ties in together,” said Maske. Maske hopes that this exercise teaches these agencies to become one cohesive unit, working on whatever crisis is at hand.”Decision making, fast communication, with all your agencies. Figuring out here and doing what gets done,” said Maske.
Pearl firefighters had an odd start to their day Friday morning, after being out to the test with a HAZMAT scenario put on by the Mississippi Department of Health.
Along with the Pearl Fire Department, other local, state, and federal agencies came to assist in the training.
The scenario presented was a sarin gas attack at the State Fire Academy in Pearl. In the exercise, a subject created the gas in the dormitory.
The gas was then put inside an electric mop that was dispensed inside a classroom.
Brian Maske, the exercise coordinator with the Mississippi Department of Health, said this was not a pass-or-fail exercise but a coaching experience for first responders.
“This is not a pass-or-fail environment. This is totally a stress-free environment,” said Maske.
He said this is important for local agencies that may not have the funding to do large-scale training like this on their own.
“It’s really important for these smaller agencies, you know, practice what you preach, muscle memory, training, it all ties in together,” said Maske.
Maske hopes that this exercise teaches these agencies to become one cohesive unit, working on whatever crisis is at hand.
“Decision making, fast communication, with all your agencies. Figuring out here and doing what gets done,” said Maske.
