On the southeast tip of Georgia you’ll find Glynn County. And in Glynn County you’ll find four superfund sites. That’s a lot of hazmat for a 420-square-mile county.

One of those sites, LCP Chemicals that was owned by Hanlin Group, was found guilty of dumping 150 tons of mercury into a creek that served as a tributary to the Turtle River and marshlands. Three executives got prison sentences.

Glynn County Fire Rescue had a hazmat team, but it went dormant for more than a decade. Then in 2023 it was reactivated. That came on the heels of two chemical plant fires and an overturned ship in the sound.

The team’s biggest win was bringing itself back from the dead. They had nothing in the way of responses; they had no equipment or active members. Over the past two years they have acquired a fully stocked Type III trailer, eight hazmat technicians, some have gained specialist ratings. And they are poised for more growth.

That equipment includes a 30-foot trailer, a 16-foot trailer for general spill response and hydrocarbon. The team also has one 4-tote foam trailer with master stream and one 2-tote trailer with master stream.

To make up the staffing, team members have to come in from multiple apparatus assignments, or from off duty. Getting more personnel remains the team’s greatest challenge.

The team trains monthly and will include training with Brunswick Fire Department.

Overall, Glynn County Fire Rescue is a career department operating out of eight stations. In 2024, the department ran 18,900 calls.