Local and County Responders Participate in Hazardous Spill Drill

West Orange Fire Department along with seven other township fire departments and 16 EMS providers participated in a New Jersey National Guard decontamination drill in West Orange Wednesday.

The drill tested the capabilities of the county's hazardous material response and treatment of patients  at the NJ National Guard Armory, according to West Orange Fire Chief Peter Smeraldo. It required the EMS to treat and triage about 20 potential people contaminated by the hazardous material. 

"We were very pleased with the results," Smeraldo said. "We identified our strengths and where we can improve."

More than 100 first responders from local townships attended as well as Essex County Sheriff's Department, New Jersey EMS and University Hospital in Newark.

The drill was joint exercise with the state's National Guard and Essex County DECON (decontamination) task-force.

Fire departments from Nutley, Montclair, Bloomfield, Belleville, Nutley, Orange and East Orange participated.