Warning: This is only a test

Evaluators (in the blue cap) analyzed the performance of emergency response crews from a variety of agencies and departments. Those in charge of the drill were pleased with how well everyone worked together. PHOTOS BY JEREMIAH O On Saturday, it was a train derailment – 27 victims, suffering from a variety of injuries, each had to be triaged, treated and transported from the site, near the train platform in Stanwood.

It was, of course, a drill. The multi-agency training was designed to simulate disasters that would tax the abilities of local emergencyresponse crews. Amtrak and Burlington Northern-Santa Fe (BNSF) organized the event with input from local emergency resources.

The people on the ground though, said Levon Yengoyan, assistant chief for Camano Island Fire and Rescue, had no idea what they were walking into.

On Sunday, an agitated man was spotted on the platform, passing out pamphlets. When officers approached the suspect, he shot two bystanders and took a third hostage, escaping into a loaded passenger car. Turns out he had a partner, too, and the partner had wired himself with explosives.

Two Marysville firefighters keep the mood light before heading into the training Saturday morning. Pretty tense weekend.

But a closer look at the victims of the simulated derailment would occasionally catch them laughing with the rescue personnel, a smile cracking the blood caked on their faces. Or they’d suddenly shake off a limp and scurry back to the train for round two, being lowered from the overhead passenger compartment.

On Sunday, amidst the terrifying takeover of the train, a high school student stifled a yawn, thinking perhaps of homework he still had to complete for Monday.

Sandwich boards around the site said “training in progress,” but plenty of drivers still stopped to gawk or ask what was happening.

What was happening was what both Darin Reid, assistant chief of Stanwood- Camano Fire Department, and Ty Trenary, Stanwood police chief, called a great exercise.

The simulated derailment on Saturday, which focused on fire and EMS, was a success, Reid said, especially considering its large scale.

“The training brought in a whole lot of departments we don’t usually work with,” Reid said. “We’ve never had a drill that combined all those agencies, so it really tested our incident command and management skills.”

Yengoyan said this coordination impressed him.

“I was being handed crews, and I had no idea where they were from,” he said, “but the crews did great. The simulation drew resources from Mount Vernon, Marysville, Silvana, and Skagit County, among others.

The end result, Reid said, is that “We’re better prepared now than before the training.”

Trenary agreed.

“You don’t want to walk away patting yourself on the back,” he said. “You want to find areas you can improve. It was the best simulated scenario I’ve been a part of.”

Because of the current economy, Reid and Trenary were especially grateful for the opportunity, which was largely funded by Amtrak and BNSF, along with federal grant money.

Local high school students acted in the scenario as well, playing the roles of victims, passengers, and hostages.

“It was a win-win for us,” Trenary said.