Cass County EMA receives Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness Grant

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Last Updated on October 30, 2024 by Cass County Communication Network

LOGANSPORT, IN – The Cass County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) has been selected as the recipient of an Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS) Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness (HMEP) Grant in the amount of $13,000.00.

Funding provided to Cass County will provide two advanced training courses to further develop skills of area hazardous materials personnel.

The first course, which was also funded in 2024, will be Command and Control of Train Derailments. A repeat offering based on popular demand by local responders, responders will learn from responders who have managed train derailments lessons learned and strategies to mitigate train derailment incidents.

The second course, a specialty training for current HAZMAT Technicians, will be Risk Based Response to Compressed Gas Cylinders. These containers come in many shapes and sizes, and specific hazards vary by the material stored in them. This training will include specialized instruction on how to repair and mitigate different situations involving these containers.

Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness (HMEP) grants are awarded to Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs) and are used to develop, improve and implement emergency plans; train public sector hazardous materials emergency response employees to respond to accidents and incidents involving hazardous materials in transportation; determine flow patterns of hazardous materials within a state and between states and determine the need within a state for regional hazardous materials emergency response teams.

To ensure that the funds are allocated to support the most effective hazardous materials transportation emergency response training and planning programs, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s Office of Hazardous Materials Safety grants program team continually examines and reevaluates the grant program processes and priorities.

Photo: Participants in a Hazardous Materials Technician training from a past year’s grant prepare to participate in an exercise to demonstrate skill proficiency. 

SOURCE: News release from Cass County Emergency Management Agency

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