Local Emergency Planning Committee hosts preparedness exercise in Cass County, Indiana
Last Updated on May 22, 2025 by Cass County Communication Network
WALTON, IN – On Wednesday, May 21 the Cass County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) held its Annual Hazardous Materials exercise at the Walton Community Fire Department. The exercise, focusing on emergency response to damage to an anhydrous ammonia pipeline, included discussion to ensure life safety of the public and responders, to effectively communicate protective actions to the public, and environmental response to contain impacts and mitigate lasting hazards.
LEPC Exercises take weeks to months to plan. Before the exercise there are multiple meetings with key response partners, industry representatives, and subject matter experts to put together a plausible scenario that provides a substantive test for the jurisdiction. On the day of the exercise Evaluators from outside the jurisdiction “grade” the response and provide feedback to drive further planning. Following the exercise, an After-Action Report/Improvement Plan (AAR/IP) Document is put together that identifies strengths as well as areas for improvement. Areas for improvement are tied to target completion dates and in most cases the LEPC aims to have issues addressed before the next exercise. Occasionally, larger or more complex issues might take multiple years to address. Most items are taken care of in weeks or months.
Responders participate and provide feedback. That feedback, along with evaluator feedback, comes back to the LEPC and is utilized to improve plans and fill capacity gaps for emergency response. Resource gaps identified help drive grant requests for training, equipment and other resources.
Participating agencies for the 2025 exercise included:
American Red Cross of Indiana
Cass County Board of Commissioners
Cass County Emergency Management Agency
Cass County Highway Department
Cass County Sheriff’s Office
Clinton Township Fire Department
Existential Media
Galveston Fire Department
Grissom Air Reserve Base – Emergency Management Office
Indiana Department of Environmental Management
Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office – HAZMAT Section
Indiana State Police
Logansport Memorial Hospital
Parkview Health
Royal Center Fire Department
Sunoco LP
New Waverly Fire Department
Walton Community Fire Department
Young America Fire Department
The Cass County Planning Department and US National Weather Service Northern Indiana provided support to prepare materials and information for the 32 responders participating in the exercise.
While the Indiana Emergency Response Commission requires LEPCs to conduct one exercise a year, Cass County typically conducts three or more. For 2025 a full-scale HAZMAT exercise is expected this summer, along with a tabletop focused on community medical preparedness this fall.
The LEPC, in concert with Emergency Management Agency (EMA) conducts hazard identification, vulnerability analysis and risk assessment activities for chemical emergencies within the county. The annual exercise is a state requirement to test local plans, identify capacity gaps and identify action items in areas of planning, equipment, training and organization.
SOURCE: News release from Cass County Emergency Management Agency