Students in Honolulu Community College's Emergency Response to Hazardous Materials course took part in a mock chemical spill today in the courtyard next to the campus' Building 5.

Seventeen students donned chemical protective blue and yellow "moon suits," and took on the role of first responders. They moved quickly to assess the situation and use proper emergency procedures to remove contaminated victims, stop the spill and mitigate any immediate public threat.

The mock spill was the final exam for the class, and was set up to give the students a chance to demonstrate their response capabilities in a crisis situation that was as close as possible to the real thing — including bystanders and one dead victim in the form of a crash dummy. The students acted as a team, with each member having specific roles to fill and tasks to complete.

When the exercise was completed, team members received certificates saying they had met OSHA's standards on training requirements for hazardous waste operations and emergency response.

"Overall I think they did very well," said Chulee Grove, course instructor and professor of Occupational & Environmental Safety Management at HCC.