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Hampton Roads fire departments participate in HAZMAT exercises

In Hampton Roads, radioactive materials are shipped routinely to medical centers and other places.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Did you know that about three million packages of radioactive materials are shipped each year in the United States, either by highway, rail, air, or water?

Most of the radioactive material is shipped on the highway.

In Hampton Roads, radioactive materials are shipped routinely to medical centers and other places. So, five fire departments in the region are conducting week-long training to handle HAZMAT situations.

The Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM), the Virginia Department of Health, and the Virginia Beach Fire Department are hosting a regional HAZMAT exercise to prepare our first responders to deal with a highway accident involving the release of radiological materials.

For HAZMAT teams responding to an incident involving the release of hazardous material(s), it is not always readily apparent that the accident involves radiological material.

The exercises will address this and other challenges that face fire departments when responding to these types of emergencies.

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