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Like the active shooter scenario last week, a mock train derailment near Tiffin University gave emergency personnel a chance to practice a plan and students the opportunity to prepare for their future careers.

County EMS and fire squads, Tiffin police and fire, the Seneca County Sheriff's Office and the Red Cross worked together to simulate a train derailment involving chlorine and sodium hydroxide near TU's campus Thursday evening.

"It's the opportunity for us to try something that we hope never happens," Tiffin Fire Chief Bill Ennis said before the simulation.

But, if it does happen, the chief said, officials will have an idea about what in the plan works and what doesn't.

"This will give us the opportunity to improve our plan by finding things or flaws that may not be apparent when it's just written down," he said.

Some students drove themselves to Mercy Hospital of Tiffin after the mock train crash, which occurred around 6:40 p.m. Thursday.

"This way, blue tarp," one man instructed them.

Students entered an area that had a tarp placed between two fire trucks. Water cleaned them off, and a brush would have removed any other chemicals.

As they left, two hospital employees gave them bracelets to wear, and the students received towels when they entered the hospital to wait.

Emergency personnel put a dummy through the new hospital's decontamination room, and other students arrived, wearing black trash bags.

Chelsie Gibbons, a TU junior from Cleveland, said it was scary going through the decontamination area with a fire hose, and she thought she would be indoors for the shower.

"We were given a tire brush to wash with," she said. "It was exciting to see the actual process."

Lisa Kirchner, TU's dean of students, said students in the emergency operations management class - a group of students who planned last week's active shooter scenario - had the opportunity to see how personnel would operate a plan, learn the process and work with emergency crews in a real-life situation.

"This is what they'll be doing someday," she said.

David Gross, planning coordinator for the Emergency Planning Committee, said officials have hazardous materials drills once a year and try to move them to different locations around the county.

"By having drills, you practice your (hazardous materials) plan," he said. "If your plan doesn't work as it's written, then you may make some revisions to your plan."

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