 The little thanks for watching this edition of OES news. I'm Sean Boyd. We're here at the scene of a major disaster in San Luis Obispo But don't worry folks. It's only a drill. In fact, it is final exam day for hazmat teams from around the state Let me set the scene for you. There has been a big earthquake and what you see now is the carnage So let the response begin Are you hearing going to an order? This is reverse 901, shelter in place, if law enforcement can handle that The scenario is very realistic It's just a big wreck, okay? You've got rail cars upside down behind me It's loosely based on the hazardous materials challenges responders faced immediately after the Northridge earthquake It starts with fuel, your basic fuels, right? Amonias, chlorine is another big one Helpful hazmats that become dangerous and often deadly when they escape their containers There's a lot of different chemicals out there that the folks that come to here Hopefully we train them so when they go out they don't get themselves hurt So another group of firefighters from various departments around California are here at the California Specialized Training Institute In San Luis Obispo to get certified as hazmat specialists Cal OES dedicates a lot of funds to keep this training site current with props, equipment, and the instructors are top notch This week-long training starts in the classroom But it's out here, students put their education to task, facing problems one after another Nothing here is in perfect condition, okay? It's all set up to fail And it's set up for them to mitigate it and fix it Okay guys, so we have two protection lines down from two separate engines Under the watchful eyes of instructors, they learn how to safely cut into tankers filled with acid And how to secure a ruptured cylinder leaking gas in the dark They're put through the paces of top rail cars to seal a simulated chlorine leak They have to work quick because see how it's frozen up And if they don't seal it quickly then it gets brittle and breaks What was the most difficult part of what you just did? Trying to talk to each other, yeah communication was tough, but we had a good game plan going on to it This is our building of concern A building where pipes are simulating a massive leak of sulfuric acid and sodium hydroxide, a nasty combination Our biggest objective right now is to contain the leak The entry team is on air, start at the clock The entry team later They need to stop the leaks in the dark, obscured by smoke and under time pressures The hazmat situations all of these trainees must successfully conquer Will prepare them to act quickly, safely and effectively in the real world But if you see these guys in your neighborhood that means there's very something significant going on And you want to give them the space to work around and let them do their jobs Because basically they're going to be the guys that are going to save the day So after a very long day and now that sunlight has given way to fire light These 21 hazmat students will return to their home fire stations and take their newly certified skills And put them to good use If you'd like more information on what you've seen here today, go to OESNews.com and click on this story For all of us here in San Luis Obispo and at Cal OES headquarters in Sacramento, I'm Sean Boyd Thanks for watching Visit our online newsroom at OESNews.com to learn more about this program And get the latest news and information from our team Don't miss our next video on your Facebook timeline, like our page and you'll get the latest posts as they happen If you're an Instagram user, you can see the latest snapshots by following our Cal OES Instagram account And Twitter users can get instant access to our tweets from across the state by following Cal OES