Fifteen Central Arizona Fire & Medical firefighters are members of the Prescott Area Hazardous Materials Response Team. This team is a joint program between Central Arizona Fire & Medical and Prescott Fire Department. Team members are Hazardous Materials Technicians that have completed a 260 hour course through the Arizona State Fire Marshal’s Office. In order to maintain certification, team members must attend continuing education training sessions throughout the year and attend at least two major drills.
Team members are trained to handle any type of hazardous materials spill and are also trained to identify, safely isolate and stabilize unknown substances anywhere in Yavapai County. The team has also trained for a Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) event and is prepared to deal with other emergencies such as a Pandemic Response.
The latest Haz-Mat truck (HM1) purchased in 2016 is either located at Prescott Fire Station 75 or CAFMA Station 58. The truck is equipped with all the tools and equipment necessary to stabilize a hazardous materials emergency. It has equipment for collecting and identifying unknown substances, air monitors for detecting chemical and radiological materials, plugging and patching equipment for semi-trucks and rail cars, and weather systems for predicting the spread of dangerous vapors. Additional equipment includes specialized protective suits and decontamination materials for responders. A command center is located inside the truck and has multiple radios, laptops and research guides. The Haz-Mat truck responds to significant hazardous materials emergencies providing further expertise and supplements the fire engines and firefighters on hazardous incidents.