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Sept. 17, 2010 For more information, contact: Hazmat Awareness Planned at Doolittle in September, Operations Classes Planned in October DOOLITTLE—Emergency medical, firefighters and law enforcement officers are encouraged to attend a hazardous materials awareness class and a hazardous materials operations class, planned at the Doolittle Fire Department. The classes are offered free of charge through the cooperative efforts of the Missouri Emergency Response Commission (MERC), Missouri Office of Homeland Security, the Meramec Regional Emergency Planning Committee (MREPC) and Meramec Regional Planning Commission. Mike Murdock, a certified trainer and a retired City of Rolla firefighter, will present the trainings, using a MERC grant secured by the MREPC. The eight-hour Hazardous Materials Awareness Class will be held from 8 a.m to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25 at the Doolittle Fire Station, 289 Bauman in Doolittle. Fifteen participants are needed to hold the class. This course meets the NFPA and OSHA objectives and is POST approved. Topics will include laws and standards of hazardous materials, identifying placards and containers, recognizing the presence of hazardous materials, understanding material safety data sheets and shipping papers, and using the North American Emergency Response Guidebook (NAERG). This course meets the prerequisite for Firefighter I from the Missouri Division of Fire Safety. Successful completion of this course will require a 70 percent score or greater on a written exam. The 24-hour Hazardous Materials Operations Class will be held Oct. 1 from 6 to 9 p.m , Oct. 2, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m, on Oct. 8 from 6 to 9 p.m., and Oct. 9 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Doolittle Fire Department. Fifteen participants are needed to hold the class. Murdock will serve as instructor for this course also. Registration for both courses is being handled by the State Emergency Management Agency and can be done online at the SEMA website a http://training.dps.mo.gov/sematraining.nsf /TrainingSchedule For additional information on the class, persons may contact Michael White with the Missouri Emergency Response Commission, 417-486-2069, or Adam Birdsong with Doolittle Fire Department at abirdsong@rollacity.org. The MREPC secured grant funds to host hazmat awareness and operations trainings around the region. “We wanted our emergency responders to have easy access to the training without having to drive many miles,” explained Snodgrass. “These may be the last classes for a while, so we hope our firefighters will take advantage of this opportunity.” The Meramec Regional Emergency Planning Committee works with local governments as well as the private sector to maintain plans responsive to chemical hazards, which seriously threaten the area. The committee periodically coordinates and offers training opportunities for emergency responders in the region. Quarterly meetings are open to the public. Meramec Regional Planning Commission, a voluntary council of local governments serving the eight-county Meramec Region, provides staff support for the local emergency planning committee. |