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On Aug. 8, Canadian Pacific Railway will conduct an emergency response drill with the U.S. Department of Defense and local agencies in West Salem, Wis.

The drill — to be held days after a simulated biological terrorism incident in nearby La Crosse — will simulate an explosion that causes a train to derail, releasing a hazardous-material vapor cloud.

CPR and local agency representatives plan to use the drill to test communication and interaction during a crisis, train junior officers and determine whether a public notification system operates as intended.

The drill will include representatives from local, state and federal agencies; the Salvation Army; American Red Cross; Civil Air Patrol; and police, fire and area hospitals. The U.S. Army Medical Service Corps will set up its 452nd Combat Support Hospital at the La Crosse airport to handle mock-injured civilians.