Local hazardous materials team certified
- The team’s response vehicle is housed at the Meridian County Fire Station where it is staffed with certified Hazardous Materials Specialists.
Team is now one of 27 ‘Type 2’ teams in the state
–The Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs has notified the San Luis Obispo County Regional Hazardous Materials Response Team that they have been successful in typing their team as a Type 2 Company Response Team.
This typing certifies the team and the equipment to respond to known and unknown hazardous materials that are threatening life, the environment or property. Currently there are only 27 Type 2 teams in the State of California. The certification of the team fills a large geographic shortage of certified teams.
San Luis Obispo City Fire Chief Garret Olson, who serves as the team’s board of directors chair, said “We appreciate the effort put into typing this team over the last year, and our team’s success in attaining this classification provides formal recognition of the professionalism and skill of our team members.”
The team is made up of all Fire Departments in the County, the FBI and County Environmental Health. The team is operated by a board of directors which is funded by the county, all cities, all fire services districts, Cal Poly and the California Men’s Colony. The Haz Mat Board shares the team throughout the county ensuring no individual department has to fully support the team. The board’s approach by sharing resources saves the tax payer tens of thousands of dollars in preventing a duplication of Haz Mat services from occurring.
Acting County Fire Chief Steve Reeder said, “The cooperative approach to hazardous materials response has served San Luis Obispo County well. Achieving the Type 2 certification validates the readiness and capability of our team.”
The team’s response vehicle is housed at the Meridian Fire Station in Paso Robles where it is staffed with certified Hazardous Materials Specialists.
