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Hazmat Regional Response Teams



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Regional teams respond to hazardous materials emergency incidents that exceed the resources of local jurisdictions. There are 12 teams across Oregon. They are a technical resource for local incident commanders.

Team members are trained to the technician level and equipped to provide Level A, B, C, and D responses. They received specialized training and equipment through the Department of Homeland Security to prepare them for response to a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE) incident.

The teams provide outreach training to local responders and industry to ensure communities are prepared to respond to hazardous materials incidents and create safer communities.

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Team members attend a minimum of 160 hours of specialized training to become hazardous materials technicians. Technician training in Oregon is standardized ensuring all team members have the same basic training. Team members are required to take annual refresher training and must complete the Oregon Regional Hazardous Materials Response Teams Task Book every two years.

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​Funding is provided through the petroleum load fee authorized in OAR 837-090-1145. The fee is collected each time a load of petroleum products is withdrawn from a bulk facility or imported into the state. This program is based on a partnership with local government, the OSFM, and industry sharing resources to create a program both economical and successful.

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A hazardous materials incident report is required withing ten working days afte the incident.

Agencies must include: Fire departments, state hazmat teams, law enforcement, Oregon Department of Transportation, Department of Environmental Quality, and emergency service or state agency.

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For reporting purposes, a hazardous materials incident is defined as the threatened or actual injury to a human, wildlife, domestic animal or the environment, or any property loss resulting from a hazardous substance release.

There are three exceptions. A report is not required for:

  1. Motor fuels spilled from a vehicle in quantities less than 42 gallons (unless the fuel enters waterways, or is determined to endanger the public safety or immediate or surrounding environment, including ground water);

  2. Sewage overflows; and

  3. Structure fires or other emergencies where hazardous substances are involved as exposures only and did not contribute to the cause of the emergency or to an injury or death. ​

We provide cost recovery for response to incidents meeting the state response criteria. We also will pursue collection of the actual response cost from the responsible party. If there is no responsible party, or if we are unable to collect, actual costs are reimbursed by the program's revolving fund. ​

Each team member is provided a customized emergency response vehicle. The original vehicle configuration is being phased out over seven bienniums and replaced with a modified 36-foot trailer and a two-ton tow vehicle. Ne vehicle packages include a smaller trailer and Suburban for recon or bringing additional supplies to a scene.

We provide the teams with Levels A, B, and C personal protective equipment, a computer system, communications equipment, monitoring, and detection equipment, and a variety of materials used for mitigation and containment. Most of the equipment received by each team is standardized sa all teams are familiar with the available resources to support each other. ​



If a major incident occurs, multiple teams are trained and equipped to provide a well-organized, integrated response to protect life, property, and the environment. 

Guidelines assist hazardous materials responders with safe, effective, and efficient emergency response to hazardous materials incidents statewide.

Withing these guidelines, emergency response team personnel must exercise common sense and professional judgmet to acchieve safe, effective, and efficient mitigation of incidents involveing hazardous materials.

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Railroad Tank Guage Kit​

Documents

The local first responder, fire or police, will arrive on scene to size up the incident. If it is determined the incident is beyond their level of training and equipment, the incident commander will request a team through the Oregon Emergency Response System (OERS) at 1-800-452-0311. OERS will notify the OSFM duty officer and other appropriate agencies. Many fire departments have close working relationships with their regional teams and may contact them directly to request a response.

Even if they contact the team directly, the local responder will contact OERS so other appropriate notifications are made. All teams are authorized to respond to incidents meeting state response criteria without authorization from the OSFM duty officer.

When a regional hazardous materials emergency response team arrives on scene, they provide technical resources to the incident commander. The local first responder retains incident command.

If the incident is large enough to require a unified command, the team leader becomes a part of that structure. The regional teams are responsible for mitigating and containing the incident. They are not involved in cleanup operations.

Once the situation is stable, the Department of Environmental Quality is responsible for working with the responsible party to assure cleanup of the incident is completed. A full team may not respond in every instance. The system provides a tiered response ranging from technical advice over the phone, to on-site recon, to a full team response. ​

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Regional Hazmat Team Posters

Hazmat Chemical Release Poster   Hazmat Petrochemical Poster  Hazmat Chemical Spill Poster


Hazardous Material Document Library

The documents, in the library below, addresses the following:

  • What are the types of risk factors within the State of Oregon related to hazardous materials incidents?
  • What is the risk profile of the State of Oregon, and is the current level of resources adequate based on applicable laws, standards, and expertise of the OSFM?
  • How does the State of Oregon Regional Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Teams’ retrospective performance compare with previously established goals?
  • If there are performance deficiencies, what are they, and how might they be addressed?