If you happened to catch a glimpse of hazmat suits in the woods this week, no, there wasn’t an actual chemical emergency. But the training was very real.
White County Public Safety partnered with the Georgia National Guard’s 4th Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team (WMD-CST) for a two-day, full-scale hazardous materials exercise at the White County Public Safety Training Center. And yes, that meant full protective suits, mobile lab units, and responders running real-time emergency drills in the woods and across the property.
The training was built to reflect real-life unpredictability. Local fire crews were dispatched without any prior notice, tasked with assessing the scene, identifying the threat, and requesting mutual aid. That’s when the CST arrived, equipped with advanced tools to detect and manage chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear hazards.
This wasn’t just textbook training. Local responders practiced contaminated patient care, decontamination procedures, technical rescues like rope and confined space operations, and managing complex incident scenes as they grew. White County EMS provided ALS support on-site, while 911 Communications simulated active dispatch and helped keep inter-agency communication flowing smoothly.
And while this may sound like something out of a big-city scenario, White County officials say the need for readiness is very real. From chemical spills on highways to suspicious substances in public buildings or dangerous drug labs, these situations have happened before, and not far from home.
“This type of training ensures our responders are better prepared to protect the people of White County in even the most complex emergency situations,” said David Murphy, Director of White County Public Safety. “We’re proud to work alongside our local, state, and federal partners to continuously strengthen our readiness.”
The exercise also gave Public Safety leaders a chance to evaluate how well crews manage fast-moving, high-risk incidents and adapt in the moment, something that’s just as important as having the right tools.
White County Public Safety extended its thanks to the 4th WMD-CST for its collaboration and resources, along with appreciation for White County EMS, 911 Communications, and every local agency that played a role in making the training a success.
At the end of the day, seeing hazmat suits in the woods may have turned heads, but the message behind them is simple: if the unthinkable ever happens, our first responders won’t be caught off guard. They’ll be ready.
