RUMFORD — On Tuesday morning, local fire, emergency responders and police will conduct a live-drill mock exercise, according to Fire Chief Chris Reed, who is also Rumford’s emergency management director.

Reed said Friday afternoon the mock exercise will be the offloading of 20,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia at the Rumford Power Facility on Industrial Park Road. This will occur between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and again Tuesday, May 23, when Rumford Power accepts a load of anhydrous ammonia, also a mock event.

Anhydrous ammonia is widely used as refrigerant in industrial facilities. Ammonia is considered a high health hazard because it is corrosive to the skin, eyes, and lungs. Exposure can be immediately dangerous to life and health.

Although power plant workers have expertise and experience in safely handling ammonia every day, local emergency first responders don’t often have to deal with it, so opportunities to plan and drill for accidents are vital in ensuring public safety.

Reed and Rumford Police Chief Tony Milligan established a drill/response plan for emergency first responders to follow in the event something were to happen during the offload.

“This gives our emergency responders some actual real-world experience and allows us to identify any problems in our plan and make improvements before an actual emergency occurs,” Reed said.

Rumford Fire Department, with the assistance of other area departments, the ND Paper Hazmat Team and local law enforcement will take part in the drill.
Local officials will meet with Oxford County and State Emergency Management officials in coming weeks to review after action plans.