Tanner Industries, Inc. Participates and Facilitates Multi-Jurisdictional Live Ammonia Release Drills

McDonough, GA, September 27, 2007 --(PR.com)-- Tanner Industries, Inc. in conjunction with PM HazMat Inc and Nordic Refrigeration, cumulated 3 days of ammonia safety and emergency response training with live release anhydrous ammonia exercises across from the Atlanta Motor Speedway in McDonough, GA. This is the 5th year that Tanner has helped train industry personnel as well as public sector personnel such as local fire departments and hazardous materials response teams in the Atlanta, GA area.

The first 2 days of training were facilitated at DeKalb Fire Station #19 and consisted of 4 hour custom training and 8 hour technician level responder refresher training. The classroom portion included training on the chemical and physical properties of anhydrous ammonia, packaging and transportation equipment, health effects, first aid, types of potential releases and response recommendations. The classroom sessions were attended by various industry and fire department personnel, including Nordic Refrigeration, Atlas Cold Storage, Standridge Colors, DeKalb County Fire Department, Henry County Fire Department, Clayton County Fire Department, Gwinett County Fire Department and others.

The highlight of the training program included several live release exercises on September 27. This was a multi-jurisdictional exercise involving several fire departments and industry personnel. Other exercises including medical rescue were included as part of the program. Tanner Industries provided an anhydrous ammonia trailer for the exercise as well as facilitated the training and live release drills.

Henry County set up a command trailer to coordinate the day’s events. Three separate hazmat teams lead by Henry County, DeKalb County, and Clayton County worked on control and containment procedures involving a live release of anhydrous ammonia. The response teams were comprised of both industry and public sector personnel working together.

Anhydrous ammonia is used extensively in industrial refrigeration locations, power plants for pollution control, water treatment facilities, pharmaceutical industry, petro-chemcial industry and for fertilizers.

It was commented by several participants that this type of training is very important in not only handling ammonia daily but instrumental in preparedness efforts in case of a release. David Binder from Tanner Industries and J. Patrick Johnson from PM HazMat, course hazmat trainers, stated that programs like this promote the effective coordination of response efforts with all stakeholders and is a benchmark model for hazardous materials response training.

Program Coordinator Leo Eleuterius from Nordic Refrigeration commented that it truly is a satisfying and rewarding feeling by being part of this ammonia training and live drill, especially from the overwhelming positive comments from participants.

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