The IAFF has been awarded $1.6 million in new grant funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA).
This grant, provided under the Supplemental Public Sector Training program, will significantly expand the IAFF’s ability to train fire fighters to safely and effectively respond to transportation-related hazardous materials incidents nationwide.
“The hazardous materials threats facing communities and our members are real. We must ensure fire fighters have the training and tools they need to respond effectively and protect the public,” said General President Edward Kelly. “The IAFF is grateful to the DOT and PHMSA for their continued support of our training programs, and we look forward to certifying even more fire fighters in proper HazMat response.”
The new funding will be used to deliver specialized, hands-on training courses that replicate real-world rail and road HazMat emergencies.
The hazardous materials threats facing communities and our members are real. We must ensure fire fighters have the training and tools they need to respond effectively and protect the public.
General President Edward Kelly
Funding will also expand the IAFF’s “train-the-trainer” model. Through this program, instructors are trained to deliver HazMat courses tailored to meet the unique threats facing their local jurisdictions. This is a critical component of the IAFF’s mission to build a scalable and sustainable network of trained instructors, ensuring consistent, high-quality training nationwide.
With the new award, the IAFF expects to train at least 600 fire fighters in proper HazMat response.
In just the last few months, the IAFF has been awarded two major grants – one for $8 million and another for $7 million – from the National Institutes of Health. These funds are also being used to bolster IAFF HazMat training courses – a testament to the federal government’s recognition of the value IAFF trainings bring to communities across the country.
To learn more about the IAFF’s HazMat training programs and upcoming course offerings, visit iaff.org/hazmat-training.
