2:39 p.m., July 31, 2009----What would happen if a train derailed in Newark? What if the train was carrying toxic chemicals? And everyone within a mile radius needed to evacuate?

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University of Delaware first responders now have a good sense of what they'd do in just such an emergency. Twenty University employees joined City of Newark employees on July 24 in an emergency management exercise designed to test their skills and prepare them for an actual emergency.

“A train derailment involving a hazardous material is certainly an emergency event that could occur in Newark since numerous trains travel through the city every day,” said Albert J. “Skip” Homiak Jr., executive director of campus and public safety. “Such a situation would have a significant impact on the University since it would most likely result in an evacuation of the entire area. We continually conduct training exercises for an active shooter, flu pandemic and severe weather scenarios, however it is equally important to be prepared for a train derailment since there could be catastrophic results if one occurred.”

The drill, organized by CSX railway, was intended to feel as real as possible. The moderators, Compliance Associates Inc., released information to participants in short briefs, each one building upon the last, beginning with an alert that a train had derailed on the tracks parallel to Elkton Road, between Amstel Avenue and Apple Road. The train would have been off the tracks near Rodney and Dickinson residence hall complexes.

“The exercise was very realistic,” said Marcia Nickle, UD emergency preparedness coordinator. Nickle said built-in hurdles helped simulate the complications that would exist in reality. For instance, the command group, those who would be at the scene making executive decisions, was kept in a separate room from the people who would be scattered elsewhere on campus.

“Having the command group in another room made the flow of communication seem very much like it would with a true incident. The use of two-way radios gave the feel of a rush of information,” she said.

University departments involved in the exercise included: Residence Life, Office of Communications & Marketing, Department of Environmental Health and Safety, Public Safety, Facilities Management, and the Disaster Research Center.

Off-campus entities represented were Newark Police Department, City of Newark, CSX, Aetna Hose, Hook and Ladder Co. and REACT Environmental Services, Inc.

Article by Andrea Boyle