Back in 1991, it was a collaboration between the Solid Waste Authority and the fire department that gave rise to the West Palm Beach Fire Department hazmat team. The team was set up to provide hazmat response to the county.

Now the team is one of four regional hazmat teams protecting the county.

West Palm Beach’s response area covers 100 square miles with more than 124,000 residents. They do this with a 162-member team that operates primarily out of Station 2 and is cross staffed from other rigs.

The team trains daily and occasionally trains with hazmat teams in Broward and Miami-Dade counties.

The team operates from a taskforce that includes three apparatus. One is a hazmat tractor trailer. They also have an engine and rescue rig. Additionally, the team has a trailer with 500 gallons of foam.

We have a foam trailer with 550 gallons of foam

The team’s biggest win was being selected to support Florida Task Force 2 as a hazmat strike team in the response to Hurricane Ian. In September 2022, Hurricane Ian made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane. In Florida alone, 149 died as a result of the storm.

Like many other hazmat teams, their biggest challenge is obtaining the latest training and equipment with limited funding.