Each month, the Prattville Fire Department conducts a drill to train all personnel to respond properly to a situation or incident to insure readiness in case it were to happen here in our community.

This month's drill was to effectively contain a hazardous materials leak or spill. A 55-gallon drum was punctured and leaking a substance marked as "1212." After setting up an emergency area, firefighters were required to identify the product from a distance using binoculars.

The emergency area was divided into hot, warm and cold zones to reduce accidental spread of contaminants, reduce the number of personnel authorized in the high-risk areas, delineate required levels of personal protection to be worn and implement emergency evacuation routes.

The hot zone, also referred to as the exclusion zone, is the area where contamination may occur. The primary activities performed in this area are hazard assessment, control of the release or hazard and rescue.

The warm zone is the area where decontamination takes place and is usually divided into two lines, one for decontaminating personnel, and one for decontaminating equipment.

The cold zone site is chosen for accessibility for emergency vehicles, visibility (line of sight to the hot and warm zones) and availability of resources like power lines, water and shelter. The cold zone is where Commander Allen Owens stationed himself to observe and instruct our fire personnel during the training.

A team was sent in to patch the hole in the drum with Plug N' Dike. This substance is mixed with water, which forms a putty. The putty is placed over the hole. It hardens in 1-2 minutes and seals the hole securely so that the drum could be packaged inside a recovery container and hauled away to be disposed of properly.

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