Residents who see emergency vehicles and heightened activity near Lee High School on Wednesday morning should not be alarmed.

The Huntsville-Madison County Emergency Management Agency, along with numerous local public safety partners, will conduct a full-scale training exercise simulating a train derailment near the school beginning at 10 a.m.

The exercise will take place along Quietdale Drive behind Lee High School and will test how agencies coordinate during a large-scale emergency involving hazardous materials.

According to organizers, the scenario will include simulated hazardous materials mitigation, perimeter security, evacuation considerations and emergency medical operations.

Emergency vehicles and first responders will be visible throughout the area during the exercise, but officials stressed there is no actual emergency and no threat to the public.

“The goal of the exercise is to strengthen interagency coordination and improve response readiness for large-scale hazardous materials incidents,” EMA officials said.

Participating agencies include the Huntsville-Madison County Emergency Management Agency, Huntsville Fire & Rescue, Huntsville Police Department, Madison Fire Department, Madison Police Department, Alabama A&M University Police Department, Huntsville City Schools, Huntsville Hospital, the City of Huntsville Communications Office and the City’s Natural Resources Department.

The training exercise is expected to continue throughout the morning.

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