Emergency crews in Lyon County got a test Friday in dealing with a mass evacuation caused by a nuclear incident. Emporia State University hosted the exercise.

Wolf Creek power plant let off a radioactive plume forcing nearly 6,000 residents out of their homes, that’s the mock scenario testing Lyon County emergency crews as those residents make their way to the evacuation post at Emporia State.

Radioactive material was hidden on a Wolf Creek employee playing an evacuee living near the plant. Lyon County emergency crews ushered evacuees through sensors separating who’s been contaminated.
Rick Frevert, Lyon County Emergency management coordinator said,
“It allows our people to practice to set up to prepare to receive those people and see where we can improve.”

Evacuees who scanned positive for radioactive material got another scan then it was off to the decontaminating station.

Evacuee Nyla Eccles said,
“One of the good things for the people is we tried to throw some questions at them and act upset.”

Around seventy-five people took part including The Red Cross and Wolf Creek personnel.
“Getting people talking to the right people, that’s what all the training is about,” explained Kevin Moles of Wolf Creek Power Plant.

Back at the drill those affected with radioactive material took decontaminating showers and repeated the process until they were clean.

“We’ll identify those areas that we want to improve or make changes throughout the next few months and we’ll meet and try to make improvements,” said Frevert.

Each person then went through a registration process and a verification they’ve decontaminated as Red Cross offered a place to stay until the danger passed.

“The thought that if you had to go through this and it was real it is nice to know you have somewhere to go that’s safe,” said Eccles.

Officials said they will review Friday’s exercises to determine what changes need to be made to their plan.

(source / full list of drills)