Fire dept. personnel receive Hazmat training

By LYNETTE SOWELL

Cove Leader-Press 

Personnel from area fire departments gathered this week at the Copperas Cove Fire Department to receive training that will be vital in the case of emergency incidents where hazardous materials are concerned. 

Instructors from the Texa s A&M Engineering Extension Service, also known as TEEX, gave the personnel hands-on practice in dealing with scenarios that involve containment of spills and more. 

In the back parking lot and one of the bays at the Central Fire Station, a number of stations were set up to put the first responders through their paces to earn a certification as a hazardous materials Technician. 

Copperas Cove Deputy Fire Chief Gary Young said the training for seven Copperas Cove fire fighters was made possible via a grant from the Texas Division of Emergency Management.

“All staff are trained to Hazardous Material Operations Level,” Young said.  “Hazmat Tech is the next level up.” 

Hazmat Awareness involves hazardous materials identification, and Hazardous Materials Operations involves addressing minor spills and leaks like gasoline spill or other like substances where the threat is lower.  Young said the Hazmat Technician training educates the personnel in aspects of full hazmat cleanup, in fully encapsulated suits.

“Although Copperas Cove does not have the equipment required to respond to the large/serious hazardous materials incidents in order to handle them without assistance from other agencies, however our staff CAN work with a Hazmat team to assist them if we have an incident that requires that level of response,” he added. “Currently there are two regional Hazmat teams that can respond if requested. Our staff can begin taking necessary precautions to safeguard our citizens until one of the regional teams arrive to address the situation.”

Including getting trained in cleanups while wearing full hazmat suits, the course also involved learning how to access switches and valves, switches and controls on vehicles and other means of transport for hazardous materials, such as trains, gas tanks, and pressurized tanks.

In the parking lot, responders also practiced plugging holes in 55-gallon barrels, such as might occur in the case of a forklift puncture. One instructor explained that some departments don’t get calls on hazardous spills, because some groups will take care of the spills themselves. 

“You typically won’t get calls for hazardous materials; you’ll get calls about ‘strange odors’,” he said. 

In addition to the field training, the 80-hour course involved classroom instruction regarding incidents in transportation emergencies, pipeline events, and fixed facilities emergencies.