Local Emergency Responders Participate in Hazardous Material Mitigation Tabletop Exercise

Local emergency personnel gathered in the Knox-Center Township Fire Department Wednesday morning to discuss how to test preparedness by responding to a hypothetical incident involving a hazardous chemical.

Starke County EMA Director J. Nier ran the exercise and it was monitored by Pulaski County EMA Director Sherri Gaillard. Officials from the medical field, law enforcement and fire departments were there to participate.

ISP Trooper Jim Strong was the first person on the scene of the hypothetical accident where a distracted semi driver carrying 6,000 of Anhydrous Ammonia crashed into a train track guardrail, damaging the tanker and causing a pungent white cloud to fill the air. Continue reading

Winamac Town Council Approves Firefighter Recommendations

The Winamac Volunteer Fire Department is now two members stronger after town council members approved recommendations submitted by Fire Chief Bill Weaver at their meeting Monday night.

Weaver explained that officials with the Fire Department have recently been interviewing prospective applicants. He said the two individuals they found who seemed like they’d be a good fit were Brittany Rotering and Blake Sowder. Continue reading

Amtrak Train Collides with Semi in Jasper County

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Police investigated an accident between an Amtrak train and a semi in Jasper County Friday morning.

It happened on County Road 1200 West near the small town of Fair Oaks.

According to a published report, the semi failed to yield at the crossing and the Amtrak Train from Indianapolis slammed into the semi’s trailer splitting it into two pieces.

The semi was carrying methanol bottles which are highly flammable. Hazmat crews were called to the scene to clean up the spillage. No injuries were reported.