If you stopped near Wallace Community College Selma Friday night you saw a good bit of police and fire action.

The event was a drill held by the Dallas County Emergency Management Agency and Alabama Department of Transportation to see how well our local agencies could deal with a hazardous materials spill on top of another issue, this time a hostage situation.

Although this was a drill and nothing more, local police, fire and health agencies were able to test their mettle, something good for all of us in the community.

The more this happens, the better trained everyone is to expect the unexpected and to respond in an appropriate manner.

After Friday night’s training, those involved underwent a debriefing, which helped them understand their roles, including the Selma Times-Journal reporter who was “arrested” for being too aggressive.

The Selma Times-Journal learned about live blogging during the incident and how we can better serve our reading public through constant updates and pictures sent from the location.

With everyone working together, the community is a safer place.

That’s what we all want.