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IAFF Encourages Continuation of HazMat Training
April 7, 2011— The IAFF testified April 7 before the
U.S. House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and
Hazardous Materials to encourage the reauthorization
of a bill that includes funding for an annual grant
allowing the IAFF to provide a train-the-trainer
hazardous materials program. The Subcommittee called
for the information-gathering hearing because it is
writing the legislation.
“Given the threat to individuals’ personal safety
and economic wellbeing, it is incumbent that we
ensure fire fighters nationwide receive hazardous
materials training to provide a safe and effective
response,” testified IAFF Assistant to the General
President for Governmental, Political and Public
Affairs Kevin O’Connor.
Since 1990, the Department of Transportation has
provided funding for a Hazardous Materials Emergency
Preparedness (HMEP) grant to the IAFF to train
instructors to deliver hazardous materials training
to emergency responders nationwide. As a result,
more than 3,000 instructors have received training,
and those instructors have gone on to provide
training to nearly 70,000 emergency responders.
While the train-the-trainer program has been an
effective one, the IAFF is also encouraging the
House Subcommittee to add language to this year’s
legislation to allow for direct training to
hazardous materials technicians.
“This would enable the IAFF to provide training that
would greatly expand the number of highly proficient
hazmat responders,” said O’Connor. “Best of all, we
believe we could expand our program to include
direct training of hazardous materials technicians
with the current grant award. No additional funding
would be necessary to add this component.”
Other suggested changes to the current legislation
include requiring all training delivered to fire
fighters be at the operations level or greater and
developing systems guaranteeing that incident
commanders have access to important information,
such as the status of hazardous substance shipping
at all times.
Concluding his testimony, O’Connor said, “By
improving emergency responder training and enhancing
hazmat identification tools, fire fighters will be
better able to guarantee that our nation’s
transportation network remains a safe and efficient
mode for private travel and public commerce.” |
