Hazardous Materials Training

Hazardous Materials training is designed for rescuers involved in response to a hazardous material leak, spread, spill, or accident that may cause further damage to life, health, properties, or the environment.

Students receive hands-on experience under the watchful eye of  expert Oklahoma State University's Fire Service Training instructors. 

There are three levels of hazmat certifications: Awareness, Operations, and Technician. 

Awareness Level is for individuals who are likely to discover a hazardous substance release and who have been trained to initiate an emergency response sequence by notifying the proper authorities of the release. They would take no further action beyond notifying the authorities of the release.

At the Operations Level, individuals respond to releases, or potential releases of, hazardous substances as part of the initial response in order to protect nearby persons, property, and/or the environment. They are trained to respond without actually trying to stop the release. Their function is to contain the release from a safe distance, keep it from spreading, and prevent exposures. 

Hazardous Materials Technicians are individuals who respond to releases for the purpose of stopping the release. They assume a more aggressive role than a First Responder at the Operations Level in that they will approach the point of release in order to plug, patch, or otherwise stop the release of a hazardous substance. Also, Technicians will decontaminate the release area and prepare materials for proper disposal.