DIMONDALE, Mich. (WLNS) — If you were driving past Dimondale Wednesday and noticed smoke, and drones in the sky — don’t fret.
First responders were getting some hands on training, involving hazardous waste spills.
While Michigan State Police don’t have a designated hazardous material team, they play a big role in training others on how to handle a toxic spill.
Police conducted drills throughout the day, instructing crews from across the nation on how to handle those hazardous spills.
“Whether it’s a train derailment, or over the roadway, they have to know what to do,” said Michele Sosinski, the Assistant Division Commander of MSP’s Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division.
For the past 32 years, 5,000 first responders receive training at the Dimondale site.
“You’re going to see teams from all over the country and Canada, that come together once a year for this four day training,” said Wendy Galbreath, the manager of the Hazardous Materials Unit. “They are going to be working from start to finish, all the way to the demobilization stage.”
Officials added that the importance of drills has become evident and improvements to their training center are on the way, in the form of an expansion.
“It will provide us with an additional classroom, office space, we are even getting a poll barn,” Sosinki added.
Officials said the new developments should come in the fall.
