The City of Huntington Beach Fire Department’s (HBFD) Hazardous Materials Response Team today received a Type 1 Hazmat Decontamination Certification, the first of its kind in the nation.
“This certification is one more example of the tireless work our Huntington Beach Fire Department does to protect our community,” said Huntington Beach Mayor Tony Strickland. “I applaud and congratulate our Fire Department on this tremendous achievement and thank them for their continued service to our City.”
With this certification, Huntington Beach Decontamination Unit 1 now has the capability to decontaminate up to 1,000 individuals at a time from toxic industrial chemicals, radiological isotopes, weapons of mass destruction, biological warfare, asphyxiants, and some blood borne agents. This unit will also serve as a statewide response resource to assist with large incidents, natural disasters, or terrorist threats.
The standards associated with Type 1 Certification are the most rigorous to attain and are a true testament to the exceptional operational capabilities of the HBFD Hazardous Materials Response Team. Following the successful partnership and certification inspection with the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), the HBFD is proud to pioneer this groundbreaking program and to support the State of California with further enhancements.
”Being able to have specialized resources at a moment’s notice through the California Fire and Rescue Mutual Aid System is invaluable,” said Brian Marshall, Cal OES Fire and Rescue Chief. “We applaud Huntington Beach Fire Department for their commitment to not only help their communities locally, but also statewide.” The HBFD Decontamination Unit has been in service since 2004. As part of the certification process, each member has been highly trained as a Hazmat Specialist. Additionally, the team has completed several months of operations training, equipment inventory, and preparation for a state of readiness.
