Alexander City firefighters spent Tuesday in training to prepare for an exercise that will unfold today and will simulate events that could follow a tornado touchdown, including a hypothetical train derailment.

On a regular basis, trains with tank cars and boxcars, sometimes filled with hazardous materials such as fuel and chlorine, are pulled through Tallapoosa County. If one of those cars derailed and those materials spilled out, the Alexander City Fire Department’s hazardous materials team (HAZMAT) would be the first to respond.