Emergency responders converge at the Rensselaer Rail Station for a training exercise on Saturday. YNN's C.J. Spang was there.

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RENSSELAER, N.Y. -- According to Sgt. Tony Nagengast of the Rensselaer City Police, "You have to be prepared for anything. And the way you do that is, keep training."

In an effort to prepare for an emergency at the Rensselaer Rail Station, multiple state, local and federal organizations staged a collaborative security drill that simulated an improvised explosive devise and hazardous material incident.

"We do these because it very well could happen. You just never know. This is a public place. There's a lot of people in and out of here transportation-wise. You have to be prepared," said Sgt. Nagengast.

"The guys who plan this spent many, many hours to have it work and be coordinated. It does take a lot of work to make sure it comes off smoothly and all the organizations get a chance to do their part of the operation," said James Hugh, Troy Fire Department Assistant Chief.

According to officials, the drill is important to familiarize the groups with each other. It also provide an important chance to improve these plans. Rensselaer County received a grant from Homeland Security to conduct the training exercise.

"It's very important because when you have these large incidents, there's always some things that you can improve on. When you work them through in practicality, you can find those problems and we can adjust to the next situation, so when we come to a real incident, things are running smoothly and efficiently," said Hughs.

Officials said they will continue to do these training exercises every few years.