Article Photos

ROARING SPRING - In the middle of Roaring Spring, where five streets meet in front of the borough building, about a dozen people had an outdoor shower Saturday morning.

As part of an emergency drill organized by Appleton Inc., firefighters lined up to decontaminate employees who pretended to have been exposed to chlorine dioxide, a hazardous chemical used in the papermaking process.

One by one, the Appleton employees held their arms to shoulder height and walked between two firetrucks. Water poured onto their heads from a hose attached to a truck ladder stretched over the street. More water shot out of another hose, drenching their bodies.

Some screamed when hit by the cold blast. Others tried like wet dogs to shake off the water and head to the next phase.

"This is a good drill," said Martinsburg Volunteer Fire Department Chief Randy Acker, whose department set up their trucks to handle the decontamination task.

Acker put Assistant Chief Shawn Daughenbaugh in charge and had about 20 firefighters on site to become familiar with the procedures that would be used if Appleton employees were exposed to a chemical leak.

"With what we do here, we can make adjustments so we're better ready in case of a real call," Acker said.

Appleton personnel had the same idea when they began planning the drill four months ago.

"This is the most realistic and extensive drill I've been involved in," said Dave Long, supply chain manager and security supervisor who has worked 36 years at Appleton. "You can't do this kind of stuff in a classroom."

Plant Manager Tony Fago said Appleton's 466 employees go through regular safety training sessions and in-house drills, but this was the first with community emergency response crews.

To start Saturday's drill, the company announced the leak via loudspeaker, ordered an evacuation and contacted the Blair County 911 Center.

Outside, J.B. Williams, Claysburg, Appleton's engineering maintenance manager, organized the evacuation of employees who were exposed to the chlorine dioxide.

"Getting someone to fresh air is top priority, and getting medical attention is second," Williams said.

After a count showed five people missing, Appleton personnel used their training that led to finding three of the five. Roaring Spring firefighters located the fourth missing employee.

The Altoona Fire Department, which serves as Blair County's hazardous response team, donned protective gear and headed to lowest level of the mill. There, they found a dummy, representing the dead body of the fifth missing employee.

"The lessons that we learn from this are great," said Altoona firefighter Daniel Drumm as he prepared to pull the orange head-to-toe protective suit over his jeans and T-shirt. "We're going to make some mistakes, but that's what we're here for; that's how we learn."

Ruby Harr, bleach plant operator who has worked almost 15 years for Appleton, said she was glad to be among the participants.

"I've been pushing them to do something like this," Harr said. "I make chlorine dioxide."

Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 946-7456.