RATHDRUM - Local emergency responders are always on high alert when it comes to hazardous materials.

The Northern Lakes Fire District, which covers Rathdrum and Hayden, took that preparedness to another level Wednesday with a mass-decontamination drill involving Lakeland High students and staff.

Jim Lyon, Northern Lakes spokesman, said the massive amounts of oil that are transported through Rathdrum each day via railroad from North Dakota to refineries on the coast have heightened hazardous material training in the region.

The drill at Lakeland involved a "disgruntled" student who applied a chemical into the school's ventilation system.

Three classrooms had to be evacuated and students were required to shed their clothes (with T-shirts and shorts on underneath) and be sprayed with water to be decontaminated.

"In most contamination situations, such as the one simulated here, approximately 80 percent of contamination would be removed by shedding of outer clothing," Lyon said.

The "contaminated" clothes were put into bags and students were given robes by firefighters after being doused, which would be the case during an actual event.

Lyon said he believes the drill involving students is the first of its kind in the region, but he expects more to occur.

"The amount of chemicals that come through this area is constant, and the trains go right by some of the schools," Lyon said.

Emergency agencies aren't the only ones who are on heightened alert. The Lakeland Joint School District board this week discussed precautions with the amount of oil moving through the area.

Mike Mather of Northern Lakes is among those slated to attend hazardous materials training in Colorado.

BNSF Railway moves an average of 1.5 loaded oil trains through North Idaho each day, said Gus Melonas, BNSF spokesman. They roll through Sandpoint, Athol, Rathdrum and Hauser. An oil train typically has about 100 railcars, and each car holds about 29,000 gallons.

There have been three fiery explosions involving trainloads of Bakken crude in other areas in the past year.

Melonas said the volume of oil trains coming through North Idaho is expected to increase, but he declined to speculate on how much.

U.S. crude oil production is forecast to reach 8.5 million barrels a day by the end of 2014, up from 5 million gallons a day in 2008, according to government figures. Railroads transported more than 400,000 carloads of crude in 2013, up from 9,500 in 2008.

Wednesday's training at Lakeland involved a first-response situation in which only Northern Lakes, not law enforcement, had arrived on scene. A multi-agency regional hazardous materials team is available to assist in disasters, but typically wouldn't be the first unit on scene.

"We can deploy in six minutes versus two hours (for the regional team), so that's what we're testing," Lyon said.

Lakeland Principal Conrad Underdahl said the school was pleased to collaborate with the fire department on the drill.

"We try to reinforce our civic responsibility and this is an excellent opportunity for some of our students to be involved within our community beyond the classroom," Underdahl said.