Housed at Station #1 our Hazardous Materials Team serves as the lead team of the Southside Regional Hazardous Materials Response Team. The Portsmouth team, established by retired Battalion Chief White in 1987, forms one part of a larger team. The Southside Regional Hazardous Material Team includes firefighters from the cities of Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Norfolk and Virginia Beach. This Team is the longest-running and only state-sponsored specialty team.

Portsmouth has 30 state-funded team members and more than 60 non-active team members, all of whom possess over 300 years of combined experience. As the lead Hazardous Materials Response Team, Portsmouth covers over a 10,000 square-mile radius from Brunswick, Va., to the Virginia/Maryland border on the Eastern Shore.

Haz-Mat trained personnel are assigned to Ladder 1 and Engine 2 and staff the Hazardous Materials Response Team. The response units consist of a 1989 Mack Truck that serves as a command post, and a 2002 Freightliner tractor trailer – both are equipped with state-of-the-art equipment providing cutting-edge technology.

The Portsmouth Team members participate in quarterly regional training exercises with neighboring cities as well as Specialty training on a national level. Training with sister cities focuses on familiarizing teams with local issues and building a cohesive bond within the team structure. Specialty training focuses on national security issues like Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)-Radiological/Nuclear, Bio-Chemical Warfare, and Incident Response to terrorist bombings.

The Haz-Mat Team responds to a variety of emergencies. Incidents the Team responds to range from small spills associated with private motor vehicle crashes to overturned tankers. Team members also responded to assist FEMA with post-hurricane efforts following Katrina’s wake.

Portsmouth is now in the process of expanding the team’s capabilities further by adding Haz-Mat paramedic positions. Additionally, communications are being upgraded by incorporating satellite technology. Computer programs are also being upgraded in order to better predict environmental outcome resulting from spills or compromised containers.

Within the next decade, the team that began not quite 20 years ago in order to counter incidents involving pesticides and other harmful agents will continue to pursue enhanced knowledge, skills, and abilities through increased training and the addition of new technology.