A train carrying hazardous materials derails somewhere within city limits.
While this fictional scenario presents a frightening possibility for the City of Greater Sudbury, a four-day training exercise with the Canadian Armed Forces is meant to ensure no one is killed or injured if such an incident were to occur.
Since Sunday the city's emergency services personnel, along with local staff from the Canadian Red Cross and the Sudbury and District Health Unit, have been training alongside 100 members from the 31, 32 and 33 Canadian Brigade Groups to better collaborate during an emergency situation.
“For us, it provides us with a real-life training audience to work with,” said Col. Patrick Kelly, commander of the 33 Canadian Brigade Group, headquartered in Ottawa.
In case of a major emergency, the city could make a call for assistance, which the federal government could choose to approve to bring in help from the military.
“The one thing we like to say we deliver is flexibility and agility to take on whatever tasks are assigned to us,” Kelly said.
In case of a natural disaster, or a train derailment, as in the week's training scenario, the city would take the lead and would direct military personnel where they are most needed.
That assistance could mean providing transportation or helping with a mass evacuation.
“In reality, no municipality could possibly handle a large-scale emergency and continue to deliver a high level of service,” said Trevor Bain, chief of the City of Greater Sudbury's fire and paramedic services.
Even in an emergency situation Bain said the city would need to continue with most of its day-to-day operations.
Depending on the scale of the emergency, it might have to call on the military for extra help.
Bain said the city's emergency service personnel have participated in a number of day-long training exercises with community partners, including large mining companies like Vale.
But this week's scenario was the first four-day exercise, and the first collaborative effort with the Canadian Armed Forces.
Kelly said it's likely another brigade will be tasked to train with a different municipality next year. But he added the week's experience in Greater Sudbury has been invaluable for the brigade's members.
“If we train for the unfortunate eventualities that could occur, then we can better respond,” he said.
