Dangerous Gas and a Fatality Part of a Montecito Drill With Several Agencies

Several fire and law enforcement agencies took part in a Montecito drill involving a fatality inside a car and dangerous gases.

The scene was on a county road near the site of the Miramar Hotel.

Crews in special hazardous material suits approached a vehicle and determined there were dangerous gasses and a fatality.

The Sheriff’s Department Bomb Squad used its remote controlled robot to assist in the response.

“It’s very difficult to come up with something that hasn’t been done before. You still have a lot of events where you can’t predict everything,” said Captain Dave Andreas. “We’ll see quite a few things we can’t even predict. It’s worse usually (in a real incident) than what we put together.”

Having a multi-agency response was important for the drill’s success.

“The days of being an isolated agency are over,” said Andreas. “We work so aggressively with other agencies and we participate as often as possible.”

The agencies involved included the Montecito Fire Protection District, The Carpinteria-Summerland Fire Protection District, The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department and the California Highway Patrol.

(more video and information will be added to this story later today.)