Today’s Haz-Matters are: The Prescott, Arizona Fire Department and Central Arizona Fire and Medical Authority
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The Prescott, Arizona Fire Department and Central Arizona Fire and Medical Authority on Oct. 13 put into service their new, jointly purchased HAZMAT response vehicle. Each agency paid half of the bill for the new truck and some new equipment. This truck, referred to as “HAZMAT 1” will be jointly staffed between both agencies and moved on a quarterly basis between the two agencies’ HAZMAT stations. HM 1 replaces the old HAZMAT van/truck that the team has used for 20 years and was well beyond its service life.
HAZMAT 1 is currently being housed at CAFMA Station 58 on Robert Road in Prescott Valley and will be rotated to PFD Station 75 on Highway 69 in January. These two stations are staffed with members of the Prescott Area Hazardous Materials Response Team, or “PAHMRT.” PAHMRT is made up of members of both agencies that are certified Hazardous Materials Technicians. This is the primary HAZMAT response team for the Western half of Yavapai County.
It has taken two years to complete this joint effort between the two agencies and a committee was put together to see it through with members of both departments. This included work on detailed specifications and site visits in Phoenix to look at other HAZMAT units, to being custom built from the ground up at the factory in South Dakota, delivery to Prescott, and then some time to outfit the new vehicle with all of the equipment and onboard systems. This truck is a completely customized vehicle and unlike any other piece of apparatus either department has ever had. There are onboard computer systems for research and communication located in the rear of the command cab and an abundance of storage space for all of the many tools and pieces of specialized equipment necessary to mitigate a hazardous materials emergency.
The photo of HAZMAT 1 was taken at the Firehouse Subs Prescott Valley location. The Prescott Area Hazardous Materials Response Team recently received a $19,844 grant from the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation.
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