Menands conducts train derailment evacuation drill

The village of Menands welcomed residents and drivers west of the CP Rail line to participate in their train derailment evacuation drill on November 5. Mayor Brian Marsh says the test is done to help first responders improve rescue efforts in the event of an incident.

MENANDS, N.Y. (NEWS10) -The village of Menands welcomed residents and drivers west of the CP Rail line to participate in their train derailment evacuation drill on November 5. Mayor Brian Marsh says the test is done to help first responders improve rescue efforts in the event of an incident.

At 3:30 p.m., the fire department’s siren activated to alert the village of the test. Other warnings were sent to hundreds of residents registered for village alerts.

"Those folks did get an alert on their phone and via email that this is a drill and this is happening. If this was a real emergency, they would get that same information," said Marsh.

Police, fire, and emergency services helped those west of the train tracks along an alternate route, the Menands School path. "We had about two dozen respondents from the community who participated in the drill. The whole drill lasted just under half an hour."

In that amount of time, drones flew overhead to capture how the drill went. The footage will be reviewed by the police and fire departments along with the mayor.

"We’re just recapping in the office to go over how it went. Any comments from our residents, we’re going to follow up with those residents to get feedback," described Marsh.

The last evacuation test was held in 2014. With derailments happening as recently as this year, Marsh sees the studies as essential. "We are going to do this drill every five years just as a matter of safety so that we are all educated and stay up on top of it."

Menand’s Emergency Alert Plan can be applied to on their website by clicking the "Register for Village Alerts" tab. That link can be found here.