‘It’s important to be ready’
SFM training prepares first responders for hazmat situations like the Raymond train derailment
April 20, 2023
State Fire Marshal State Emergency Response Teams coordinators train first responders at Camp Ripley.
Our State Emergency Response Teams (SERT) hazmat members hope their services aren't needed, but the train derailment in Raymond last month proved that when duty calls, they're ready to answer.
The local first responders who make up the SERT hazmat teams were ready for anything thanks to training provided by our State Fire Marshal (SFM) division SERT coordinators.
Hazmat team members from across Minnesota came together for a two-day training this week at the Joint Emergency Response Training Center (JERTC) at Camp Ripley to prepare for any emergency thrown at them. Firefighters and first responders are using the state-of-the-art facility — which opened in October 2022 — to practice what to do to protect their communities should the unthinkable happen.
"We hope that these incidents never happen in Minnesota, but, if they do, it's important to be ready," SFM SERT coordinator John Kreuser said.
Many railroad companies transport hazardous materials and other cargo on 4,000 miles of rail line in Minnesota on any given day. In addition, trucking companies regularly move hazardous materials across the state's freeway, highway, and interstate system.
If something goes wrong, local authorities can call in one of Minnesota's 11 hazmat teams spread across the state, four of which are also SERTs. The teams assess hazardous material and provide technical assistance in an emergency. SFM provides the teams specialized training to make sure they can keep all Minnesotans safe.
First responders train to move skillfully and with precision inside bulky hazmat suits.
A hazardous materials disaster could be devastating to any Minnesota town. The JERTC allows Minnesota firefighters and hazmat response personnel to conduct live-fire exercises for more realistic training.
Specialists from the SERTs consulted with the Minnesota National Guard on the construction of the JERTC to ensure training modules were realistic and useful for Minnesota first responders.
Drills and exercises at the JERTC include simulated responses to rail car leaks, like the ethanol spill in Raymond. SERT members also practice responding to derailed train cars, tanker trucks and other hazardous material transportation scenarios. Firefighters and first responders even do dexterity training, to make sure they can move skillfully and with precision inside the bulky hazmat suits.
Learn more about SERTs at our
SFM webpage.
