Through the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) last week announced an award of more than $30 million for first responders and the bolstering of local responses to hazardous materials incidents.
In all, six grants split up the funding. The largest sum, at $22 million, will go to states, territories and Tribes for first responder training related to hazardous materials and the support of development, implementation and improvement of emergency plans among communities. Another $4.7 million will support the training of hazardous materials instructors to conduct this education.
On the smaller end of the scale, $1.3 million will go to non-profits that train hazardous materials instructors for first responders. Another $1.2 million was set out to train volunteer or remote emergency responders’ responses to hazardous materials incidents that occur during rail transport. On top of this, $1 million will back community safety efforts, helping to build their planning, response and training for safe transport of these materials.
Finally, $290,000 in Hazardous Materials State Inspection grants will cover costs for state-run hazardous materials shipper inspections to include personnel, travel, equipment, supplies, and training for hazardous materials inspectors.
“Firefighters and other local public servants are the everyday first-responder heroes that we rely on to immediately run to the emergency,” PHMSA Deputy Administrator Tristan Brown said. “These grants provide our emergency responders the resources they need to train and effectively respond to hazardous materials incidents.”