The regional hazardous material team for Josephine, Jackson, Klamath and Lake counties came to Grants Pass last week to conduct detailed hazmat training for all the fire departments in Josephine County.
The Medford-based Oregon State Fire Marshal Region 8 Hazardous Materials Team spent several days at the Hillcrest Fire Station conducting refresher training to approximately 75 firefighters from local agencies.
Grants Pass Battalion Chief Wayne Nelson said the team is poised to respond to incidents that occur in the four-county region. He said they regularly provide consultations to firefighters who encounter an unknown material to help with identification, containment and evaluate potential hazard concerns.
Nelson said the training conducted last week involved three scenarios: a life safety drill, technical decontamination and emergency decontamination from fire trucks. Hazardous materials pass through Josephine County on a daily basis, especially on Interstate 5 and Redwood Highway.
Agencies that participated in the hazmat training included Grants Pass Fire & Rescue, Rural Metro Fire Department, Illinois Valley Fire District, the Williams and Wolf Creek Rural Fire Protection Districts, and American Medical Response.
