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JOINT NEWS RELEASE

County of Glenn, City of Willows, Wilbur Ellis, CHP

 

SAFETY EXERCISE TO GAUGE LOCAL BUSINESS, FIRST RESPONDERS PREPAREDNESS

County, City, Wilbur-Ellis Company Collaborate to Assess Local Incident Response

 

WILLOWS, Calif., October 19, 2016 – Wilbur-Ellis Company, a recognized leader in precision agriculture technology and the marketing and distribution of crop protection products, announced earlier this week a partnership with the City of Willows and Glenn County to perform a full-scale hazardous material incident response exercise at its Willows retail branch on Wednesday, October 19.

This exercise brings together Wilbur-Ellis and local response agencies to ensure they respond safely and effectively together, and provides an opportunity for Wilbur-Ellis staff to inform local responders about our plant, its many functions and our current safety plans and procedures. This full-scale exercise, being conducted for the first time at this facility, provides an opportunity for responders to test their skills in a realistic environment.

“Wilbur-Ellis is pleased to be participating in this multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional exercise with 20 different agencies,” said Wilbur-Ellis Branch Manager Paul Smith. “As a business partner to the City of Willows and Glenn County, this exercise is part of our continuing efforts as a company to ensure the safety of our employees, our neighbors and the community at large.”

This exercise is being conducted in accordance with the Department of Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP). Glenn County receives federal emergency preparedness grants that promote the training of responders for all hazards. Through the Office of Emergency Services and Public Health, these preparedness grants provide planning, training and equipment for local responders.

The objectives and skills evaluated in this exercise include identification and containment of various hazards and multi-agency coordination. Activation of the Regional Multi-Casualty Incident Response

Plan as well as activation of and response by regional Hazardous Materials Response Teams will be tested for the first time during this exercise. Glenn Medical Center will also be assessing its ability to lockdown its facility and shelter in place.

 “Knowing whether we are ready for an incident like this is crucial to our residents’ safety,” said Willows’ Fire Chief Wayne Peabody. “Knowing our Rapid Notify system, the Nixle alert system and the use of social media for mobile and web-based alerts from the sheriff’s office, California Highway Patrol (CHP), the City of Willows and public health agencies are all functioning well together to keep Willows’ community members safe is a matter of public safety and important to everyone involved. I’d like to thank Wilbur-Ellis, our first responders and the community for their time and effort in planning and facilitating this exercise to ensure our preparedness in the unlikely event of an incident like this.”

The exercise will be conducted from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will close down County Road 57 from Hwy 99W east to Country Road M, in the vicinity of the Wilbur Ellis facility. For the safety and security of the exercise, the public’s safety and to avoid interference with this important exercise, community members are advised to avoid the area and seek alternative routes on October 19 during these times.

For more information on emergency management activities, follow us on Twitter @GlennCountyOES .

 

 

About Wilbur-Ellis Company

Founded in 1921, Wilbur-Ellis Company is a leading international marketer and distributor of agricultural products, animal feed and specialty chemicals and ingredients. By developing strong relationships, making strategic market investments and capitalizing on new opportunities, Wilbur-Ellis Company has continued to grow its business with sales now over $3.1 billion. For more information, please visit www.wilburellis.com

 

Wilbur-Ellis Agribusiness generates more than $2.1 billion in sales revenue and has 160 branch locations throughout the U.S.