Originally published by The Rogersville REVIEW
Not many folks in Hawkins County are aware that there is a team of volunteers specifically equipped and trained to respond to emergencies involving hazardous materials. A hazardous material is any material that poses a threat to human health and/or the environment. Typical hazardous materials are toxic, corrosive, ignitable, explosive, or chemically reactive. These specialized teams are generally called HAZMAT or Hazardous Materials Teams, however, here in Hawkins County they are known as the Hawkins County Emergency Response Team .
The first Public Safety Haz Mat team in the United States was established in Jacksonville Florida in 1977 within the Jacksonville Fire Department. Today, the majority of HAZMAT teams are found within municipal, industrial, and military fire departments.
Hazardous materials can be found everywhere in Hawkins County, including the average home. Fortunately, the type and quantity of hazardous materials found in the average home is nowhere near the magnitude of problems involving hazardous materials in transport. The majority of hazardous materials transported in Hawkins County is on highway 11W, the Norfolk Southern and CSX railroads, and the East Tennessee Natural Gas Pipeline. The railroads primary customer, Eastman Chemical, operates two trains daily.
In 1982, authors Mike Hildebrand and Greg Noll, introduced the concept of an eight-step procedure for managing hazardous materials when their text, Hazardous Materials: Managing the Incident was published. This text is widely used by fire fighters, hazmat teams, bomb squads, industrial emergency response teams, and other emergency responders who may be called to respond to hazardous materials incidents.
Due to changing government regulations and consensus standards Noll and Hildebrand refined their process of managing hazmat incidents and added enhanced content, tips, case studies, and detailed charts and tables. Hazardous Materials: Managing the Incident is a complete training resource for Hazardous Materials Technicians and Incident Commanders.
The Hawkins County Emergency Response Team consists of 28 members of which 16 to 18 are active responders. They include instructors, paramedics, emergency medical technicians and first responders. The Emergency Response Team includes five Tennessee Emergency Management Agency certified hazardous materials technicians, one Tennessee Emergency Management Agency Certified Hazardous Materials Specialist and ten OSHA certified hazardous materials technicians. These trained volunteers are the backbone of HAZMAT response in Hawkins County.
In the fall of 1994 fifty volunteers from fire departments, rescue squads, sheriff’s department, emergency medical technicians and paramedics participated in the first structured hazardous materials training program in Hawkins County. The local Coca Cola distributer donated a 1978 Ford beverage truck to the Hawkins County Fireman’s Association and TRW and Dodge donated funds to equip the truck with specialized tools and equipment.
Hawkins County Emergency Response Team became a Tennessee Domestic Non-Profit Corporation on December 4, 2001. Between 1998 and 2008 the Hawkins County Emergency Response Team upgraded their fleet several times with later model used vehicles that included 1979 Ford Rescue Truck, an ex-Navy 1977 fire engine, and a 1982 International Harvester Pepsi Cola beverage truck. Over the years additional trucks were obtained and training expanded to include the 80 hour HMTO course sponsored by the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency. The HMTO course trains the individual student to operate in an offensive mode when responding to a hazardous materials incident. It is also designed to prepare team members to operate safely and as a unit in dealing with hazardous materials incidents. Emphasis is on teamwork and the use and limitations of existing team equipment. Content includes personal protection, safety procedures, basic physical and chemical properties, container characteristics, basic tactics and guidelines for team policies, procedures, and operations. TEMA offers one course per region annually, contingent upon funding. This course is targeted towards local HazMat Team members such as the Hawkins County Emergency Response Team.
The Quarryville Fire Co. in Quarryville, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania replaced their 1984 Swab Mack MC rescue truck, which has served the Hawkins County Emergency Response Team since 2010. Thanks to support from the Hawkins County Sheriff’s department, the Hawkins County Emergency Response Team was able to obtain a surplus 1987 GMC US Air Force P-10 Rescue Truck.
Hawkins County Emergency Response Team my phone at work. One of those days. Only thing I would like to see is maybe this. The 5 tech and 1 specialist are Tema certified and we have 10 Osha has mat techs as well. Those guys and gals are the backbone and I’d like to see them get kudos as well. But looks good, thank you!
