09/25/2026
🚨 Clinton County LEPC Full-Scale Exercise 🚨
On Thursday, September 24, the Clinton County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) conducted a full-scale hazardous materials exercise at the Norfolk Southern rail yard in Frankfort.
After months of planning and preparation, representatives from multiple agencies came together to put their training, communication, coordination, and response capabilities to the test.
The morning began at 8:00 a.m. at the Frankfort Police Department with a safety briefing for everyone participating in the exercise. At approximately 9:00 a.m., the exercise officially began.
The scenario involved a simulated hazardous materials leak from rail cars with multiple “victims” injured or exposed in the area.
Students from the current Clinton County EMS EMT class played an important role in making the exercise as realistic as possible. Three students served as 911 callers, contacting Clinton County Central Dispatch to report the simulated incident. Three additional students “self-reported” to IU Health Frankfort Hospital after being “exposed” while in the rail yard, while two students served as “victims” at the scene.
The exercise provided participating agencies with an opportunity to put their training and skills into action while practicing communication, incident command, hazardous materials response, patient care, hospital coordination, and interagency cooperation.
Following the exercise, participants returned to the Frankfort Police Department for a hot wash to discuss what went well, identify areas for improvement, and gather valuable feedback that will help strengthen our community's preparedness for a real emergency.
The LEPC also invited local officials, community partners, and public safety representatives to observe the exercise. We appreciate representatives from the Clinton County Council, Clinton County Commissioners, Clinton County Central Dispatch, Clinton County Sheriff’s Office, Clinton County Auditor’s Office, Covestro, NTK Precision Axle, Clinton Prairie Schools and the Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office for taking the time to attend and observe.
Participating agencies in the exercise included:
• Clinton County Central Dispatch
• Clinton County Emergency Management Agency
• Clinton County EMS and members of the current EMT class
• Frankfort Fire Department
• Frankfort Police Department
• IU Health Frankfort Hospital
Thank you to members of the Clinton County Health Department, who served as safety officers throughout the exercise, and to everyone who volunteered their time to serve as evaluators.
A special thank you to Norfolk Southern for bringing their Safety Train to Frankfort as part of their Operation Awareness and Response (OAR) program and for partnering with the Clinton County LEPC to make this full-scale exercise possible. The use of the Safety Train and rail yard provided our local first responders with a valuable opportunity to train in a realistic environment and strengthen their preparedness for a hazardous materials incident involving the railroad.
Thank you to everyone who made this event a success.
