Media Invitation - Multi-Agency Hazardous Materials Drill - February 21, 2023
Portland Fire and Rescue
February 17, 2023 13:25
MEDIA ADVISORY: Multi-agency hazardous materials (HazMat) training event to take place in Portland.
WHAT: Regional fire and law enforcement agencies will join Oregon National Guard's 102nd Civil Support Team in a multi-agency hazardous materials (HazMat) drill. Crews will engage in scenarios involving an illegal drug laboratory and potentially toxic substances. The training will include a mix of hands-on training scenarios and classroom learning, and crews will practice hazard mitigation, field analysis, learn how to operate specialized equipment, and reinforce proper use and decontamination of personal protective equipment (PPE), among other skills. Because the 102nd Civil Support Team assists civil authorities at domestic sites when requested, practicing agency coordination ahead of time with regional HazMat teams through simulated, real-world scenarios is critical for success.
WHEN: Tuesday, February 21, 2023, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
WHERE: Portland Station 02 – Parkrose, 4800 NE 122nd Avenue, Portland, OR 97220
WHO: Northern Region HazMat teams including Region 11 Astoria Fire Department, Region 2 Eugene Springfield Fire & EMS, Region 3 Gresham-Multnomah County, Region 10 Hermiston Fire and Emergency Services, Region 7 Portland Fire & Rescue Bureau, and Region 9 Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue. Additional partners include Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal, Oregon State Police, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Available for interviews:
SSG Jeremy Jamieson, CBRNE specialist and survey team member, 102nd CST, Oregon Army National Guard
Lt. Austin Fiske, Firefighter Paramedic and HazMat specialist, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue
Lt. Bryan Profit, Hazardous Materials Coordinator, Portland Fire & Rescue
NOTE: For questions the day of the event please call or text 971-895-3552. Please park in the front parking lot as you enter off of NE 122nd Avenue.
FAST FACTS:
- The Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal administers Oregon's 13 Regional Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Teams (RHMERT) across the state.
- RHMERT is a partnership between the OSFM, the Oregon fire service, and industry, where shared resources created a program that is both economical and successful.
- The regional teams are ready to respond to a variety of incidents that involve spills and leaks of dangerous chemicals, fuels, and other substances. Team members attend a minimum of 160 hours of specialized training to become hazmat technicians. Members are required to take annual refresher training and must complete the Oregon Regional Hazardous Materials Response Teams Task Book every two years.
- These teams work quickly and efficiently to prevent harm to people and stop fires or explosions.
- In 2022, RHMERT responded to 46 incidents, Tualatin Valley with 10, Hermiston nine, Gresham/Multnomah four, Portland three, and Astoria two.
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