Hazardous Materials Division
The Hazardous Materials Division was formed in 2002 when OSHA determined that the city was falling behind in terms of protecting the high risk areas in the city, such as the docks (where tons of chemicals are transported daily), the airport (where both people and fuel are abundant), hospitals, schools, and malls. This led the fire department to establish a new company that would be able to handle any type of response, Squad 1. They initially used Rescue 1's previous apparatus (the 1978 Mack CF) as a frontline apparatus prior to the purchase of a 2007 Pierce Quantum Heavy Rescue. As the years flew by, the Hazardous Materials Division expanded in order to mitigate a wide range of incidents. In 2021, a second hazmat team at Station 4 was established to assist the main hazmat team at Station 1. All personnel in the Hazardous Materials Division are trained to the Hazmat Specialist level and Rescue Specialist level, in addition to their normal firefighting training. At all times, a Hazmat Incident Officer, a Hazmat Safety Officer, 3 CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives) Specialists, and 3 Hazmat Specialists are on duty. The Hazmat teams at Station 1 and 4 are supported by the 4 squad companies and the 2 rescue companies.