Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:

Hinsdale firefighter/paramedics, along with firefighters from eight other area fire departments conducted a hazardous materials response drill Saturday (5/21/16) near Ogden Avenue and Adams Street. The staged scenario involved illegal dumping of chemicals into a creek. It was Hinsdale’s turn to host the twice a year training for the Division 10 Hazmat Response Team.

Team members responded to a report from a resident who claimed to see a man pouring liquid from barrels on the back of his truck into the creek, said Hinsdale firefighter and hazmat technician Mike Wilson.

The barrels actually were filled with water and an EPA-approved dye, which turned the water a fluorescent color. A mannequin was used for the truck driver, who was found unconscious on the ground by the truck. Someone also played the role of a police officer who had arrived first at the scene and passed out. Firefighter/paramedics removed the victims from the scene and transported them to area  hospitals.

In the past year, the hazmat team has responded to three real incidents, including when a clear gel in an IV-like plastic bag was found on the BNSF railroad tracks in Brookfield last October. More recently, the Division 10 hazmat team responded to a chlorine leak at a water treatment plant in Darien.

thanks Dan

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