Fire Department

Haz-Mat Team

The Chesapeake Fire Department's Hazardous Materials Team became an official unit of the Department on October 1, 1988. Three shifts were staffed by 15 firefighters who had requested assignment to the team. Although furnished minimum equipment and training, over a period of three years the Haz-Mat Team has become on of the Top 100 response teams in the nation. (Taken from the "Firehouse" 1991 Run Survey).

In the Spring of 1989, a 1987 step van - "The Bread Truck " - was modified to suit the particular needs of the response team and placed into service. Modifications included dual cellular phones, multi-band radios, computer reference system and facsimile capability as well as transport and storage of specialized equipment.

Chesapeake's team, through an agreement with the Commonwealth of Virginia, in January 1989, became a member of the Southside Regional Response Team, joining the cities of Portsmouth, Virginia Beach and Norfolk as a single unit for response to large-scale incidents.

Fire Department personnel will move out of the past and into the future. The new technologies of the year 2000 will demand new knowledge and equipment to protect our citizens and our environment.

LINKS to other sites:

Hazmat Safety Home Page