Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital in Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada, staged a car accident with a chemical spill to test the hospital’s emergency preparedness, according to an article on the Simcoe.com website.

“Exercises that test our response as an organization are a critical component of what we do here at the hospital,” said president and CEO Elisabeth Riley in the article. “The goal of the mock exercise is to ensure (the hospital) can provide a safe and effective response to the situation.”

The recent scenario began with a collision involving two 18-wheeler trucks, one of which was hauling chemicals.

Accredited hospitals must hold mock disaster scenarios every five years to test policies and determine whether room exists for improvement.

One of those policies involves protecting patient privacy, the article said. A reporter attempted to enter the emergency department but was turned away by security, as per hospital rules.

Read the article.