Glasgow firefighters complete week-long hazmat training
GLASGOW, Ky. (WNKY) — Glasgow firefighters wrapped up a week-long hazardous materials technician course Friday, giving crews hands-on experience responding to chemical spills, gas leaks and other hazmat emergencies.
Kentucky Fire Commission State Fire Rescue Training conducted the 40-hour course with assistance from Barren County Emergency Management. Firefighters practiced containment techniques, worked in specialized protective suits and used a simulator that recreated a pressurized leak with water.
Preparing for hazards close to home
Battalion Chief Justin Wells said crews have to be ready for more than the chemicals used by local industries, including chlorine gas.
“But we’re not limited to just what’s used here in Glasgow in Barren County because we have part of I-65 that runs through Barren County, the Cumberland Parkway, and any kind of chemical can be in transport from one area to another that’s coming through our area that we need to be ready to respond to,” Wells said.
That means slowing down and identifying the hazard before taking action.
“It’s one of those things where it’s a hurry up and wait. It’s nothing you can run into,” Wells said. “So, we really need to identify what we’re dealing with.”
Once crews know what chemical is involved, they can assess the risks, contain the area and decide how to respond safely.
Training to stop the leak
Wells calls the technician course the “fix it class.” At this level, firefighters move beyond identifying hazardous materials and setting up decontamination. They train to take offensive action, including stopping an active spill or leak.
One of the biggest challenges is working inside fully contained protective suits. Wells said they can make it difficult to see, move and feel what firefighters are working with.
The course also included a simulator that sprayed water from a pressurized leak while crews worked to seal it, giving firefighters a more realistic look at what they could face during an actual hazmat response.
Glasgow requires all of its firefighters to complete this level of training. Wells said that allows the department to respond locally instead of waiting for a hazmat team from another county or elsewhere in the state.
