Hazmat Team Stationed In Cantonment, Ensley Gets New Response Vehicle

October 27, 2018

Escambia County’s Hazmat  team, which is stationed between the Ensley and Cantonment fire stations, has a new response unit.

The vehicle was donated by the Okaloosa County via the Ocean City Wright Fire Department. The new apparatus allows the Hazmat team to transport up to six Hazardous Materials Technicians and a wide variety of equipment for detection and mitigation to an incident all in one vehicle, which greatly reduces response time.

The 2000 model Pierce hazardous material response unit is equipped with a command and research area, power generator, scene lighting and compressed air for responders. Previously, the HAZMAT team used multiple utility pick-up trucks and trailers to respond with similar equipment. By decreasing the time needed to arrive on scene and being equipped with a more capable response unit, the county will be able to reduce the exposure and impact to citizens and the environment during a hazardous materials incident.

““We are ecstatic about this acquisition. Our Special Operations Teams will now be more effective than ever, as we continue to make Escambia County one of the safest places to live, work, and visit. Escambia County Fire Rescue is very grateful to both the Okaloosa and Escambia County Commissions for making this possible for our team and region,” Escambia Fire Rescue Chief Rusty Nail said.

Strategically located between the interstate, railways and many industrial companies, Escambia County’s Hazmat team is housed at the Ensley and Cantonment Stations. With at least eight hazardous materials technicians on duty 24 hours a day, Escambia County has the capability and equipment to decontaminate, treat and transport victims of chemical or biological exposure. The team can respond to a wide variety of calls from household propane gas leaks, rail or transportation accidents involving chemicals, industrial leaks of materials like acid, gasoline, or chlorine; spills caused by a natural disaster like a hurricane, to an act of terrorism like dangerous biological materials found in the mail.  When not responding to or training for hazardous materials emergencies, team members respond to day-to-day fire and medical emergencies.

Escambia County Fire Rescue’s Hazmat team is a state regional asset and is one of only 20 in Florida qualified to respond to Type 1 and Type 2 hazardous materials incidents. This means they are appropriately equipped and trained to handle all industrial chemical and weapons of mass destruction hazards in any form such as liquid, aerosol, powder, solids and vapor or gas.

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NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News