Hazmat Training & Operations
The hazards and hazmat topic section covers operations involving hazardous materials, including chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive (CBRNE) incidents.
Gear up for FireRescue1’s Hazmat Week, Sept. 28-Oct. 2, which encourages all first responders to “Know Your Zone.” At hazmat incidents, red, yellow and green zones help establish clear boundaries based on hazard level, protective equipment needs and operational function. Throughout the week, FireRescue1 will focus on the skills, tools and decision-making that help first responders recognize those boundaries and operate safely within them.
Try these drills to build practical skills and strengthen operational readiness
La Verne firefighters spent more than three days managing thermal runaway at a battery storage facility as evacuations remained in place over concerns about potentially toxic gases
Learn why traditional cleaning methods fall short and how a standardized decontamination process can help protect firefighters from toxic exposure long after the flames are out
Chattanooga firefighters responded to a middle school for a possible mercury exposure before crews determined the broken thermometer contained alcohol
Explaining a boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion, how it occurs and how it can be prevented
The $1 million custom rig includes dedicated space for command and research functions
Common questions about when firefighters in bunker gear and SCBA can make a save and when to wait for the hazmat team
Evaluating the operational period and logistics, plus the “tactical trifecta,” to gauge response level
Charlotte Fire’s new HM-FS 34 gives hazmat crews a controlled mobile laboratory to identify unknown substances, protect evidence and conduct testing at emergency scenes
Download this field checklist for establishing and adjusting hazmat control zones
Knowing exactly what chemical you are dealing with can directly inform PPE, decontamination, evacuation and exposure decisions during a hazmat response
Concord Fire Department’s Hazardous Materials Team earned a perfect score at the SAFRE Hazmat Challenge, testing specialized response skills against teams from across North Carolina
Christopher Carroll pleaded guilty to three counts after prosecutors accused him of contaminating coworkers’ food and Baltimore County property
HazMat 2 Environmental Fire Rescue will transition to an educational foundation a year after its decades-long partnership with Lancaster County ended
Captain Jim Barnhart explains why alternative energy systems are changing the fireground faster than many departments can adapt — and how to close the gap
From Worcester to Los Angeles, refrigerated warehouse fires pose unique challenges for fire crews
Crews were ordered out of the facility after flames reached an ammonia line, causing the chemical to begin off-gassing
What every EMS crew should do before the hazmat team arrives
Search teams continue efforts to locate three missing workers after a chemical tank collapse at a Longview paper mill killed 11 people and injured eight
Investigators say paint vapors ignited inside a confined space, triggering an explosion and fire that killed one worker and injured more than 30 firefighters
Officials said there was no hope for rescue after a tank holding highly corrosive liquid collapsed at Nippon Dynawave in Longview
Officials said the risk of a catastrophic explosion at the Garden Grove aerospace plant has passed, though a smaller blast, fire or spill remains possible
Authorities say fentanyl and methamphetamine were discovered inside a Mountainair home where three people died and multiple first responders became sick
Orange County Chief TJ McGovern said the crack could be relieving pressure on the tank at the GKN Aerospace facility, which firefighters have been working to cool for days
Hazmat teams were called to the scene, which Mountainair Mayor Peter Nieto said likely involved narcotics
Cleveland firefighters and a medical helicopter responded to Amaero Advanced Materials after an industrial explosion
See how adding on-scene gas identification helps fire and hazmat teams move faster from detection to confident decision-making
Most of these skill-building exercises can be used year-round and with minimal cost and equipment
A toxic gas release at a silver recovery facility in Kanawha County left two people dead and about 30 others hospitalized as officials investigate a chemical reaction involving nitric acid
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