Hazardous Material (Hazmat) Teams are personnel specially trained to handle dangerous goods. Dangerous goods include materials that are radioactive, flammable, explosive, corrosive, oxidizing, asphyxiating, bio-hazardous, toxic, pathogenic or allergenic. Also included are physical conditions such as compressed gases and liquid or hot materials, including all goods containing such materials or chemicals, or may have other characteristics that render them hazardous in specific circumstances.
The Alcoa Fire Department (AFD) currently has 26 Hazmat Technicians and three Specialists.
Training
Hazmat Technicians are trained in an 80-hour Hazmat Technical Operations course. Team members are required to have eight hours of refresher training annually.
Hazardous Material Specialists attend additional specialized training at the Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) in Anniston, Alabama, Bomb and Explosives Training in New Mexico, Chemistry for Emergency Response in Emmitsburg Maryland and Radiological Training in Nevada.