Lufkin
Fire Department provides a 21-member Hazardous Material
Team, trained to the Technician level. We are the only team
within a three hour driving radius.
In 1987, because of the
increasing amount of hazardous materials transported through
and used by the City of Lufkin, the Lufkin Fire Department
expanded its duties and capabilities by developing a
hazardous materials emergency response team. The Hazmat team
consists of 15
firefighters who, in addition to their regular duties, are
specially trained in the control, containment, and
confinement techniques associated with hazardous materials.
Although this team is not responsible for clean up
activities, their goal is to minimize damage to life,
property, and the environment in the event of a hazardous
materials incident.
The Lufkin Hazmat truck
carries a wide variety of specialized equipment including
booms, absorbent chemicals, neutralizing agents, various
types of chemical suits, patching materials, detection
equipment, decontamination supplies and much, much more. In
addition to these supplies it also is equipped with a
comprehensive resource library and communications system.
The Hazmat team responds to
incidents within the City of Lufkin and
Angelina
County. It also has a Mutual Aid Agreement with Nacogdoches
County and traditionally has responded to wherever requested
and needed.
Local businesses and
residences are not billed for utilizing the Hazmat Team at
an incident. However, incidents occurring outside city
limits or by vehicles passing through the city are billable.
Although there is no guarantee it will always be this way,
billable responses and donations have covered all the
additional expenses of equipment and training in the past.
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