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Weekend "Explosion" At Hawthorne Center Was Only a Test
A weekend fire drill provided some excitement for local residents. A mock drill involving at least 20 area responding divisions took place Saturday morning near the Galesburg Fire Regional Training Center at Hawthorne Center.

The drill included two mock explosions, one at the training center, and one at the pool just Northwest of the training site. Rescuers had to deal with several 'victims' as the training center housed 40 to 60 students at the time and a hazardous material environment as one of the explosions had to do with a chlorine toxin in the air.

Public Information Officer Mike Whitson tells WGIL what efforts the responders were utilizing. "Haz-Mat attacks, high angle rope rescue, collapse rescue, and a lot of specialties."

Firefighters and emergency responders from 20 area fire departments in Knox Warren, Henry and Mercer counties responded as well as the Galesburg Police Department, Knox County Sheriff's Department, Galesburg Health Department and the local hospitals.


(Story by Dominic Fortini, WGIL News Photos by Will Stevenson)
10 06 08 by Newsroom
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