Hazardous Materials Operations

The Hazardous Materials Operations (HAZMAT Ops) course is a five-day course that provides responders with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to analyze, plan, and implement performance-defensive response actions for hazardous materials (HAZMAT) incidents. During this course, students receive instruction and hands-on experience in the knowledge, activities and responsibilities required of operations-level HAZMAT responders. Students perform advanced, practical tasks in the Nation's only toxic agent training facility, the Chemical, Ordnance, Biological and Radiological (COBRA) Training Facility. This course trains responders to National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®) 1072: Standard for Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Emergency Response Personnel Professional Qualifications.

Below are some, but not all, of the critical skill sets learned during this training program:

• Identify hazardous materials containers.
• Identify sources of hazardous materials response information.
• Identify types of hazardous materials.
• Identify properties of hazardous materials.
• Identify behaviors of hazardous materials.
• Perform response planning for hazardous materials incidents.
• Respond to a hazardous materials incident.
• Don and doff personal protective equipment.
• Perform decontamination operations.
• Perform absorption product control technique.
• Perform adsorption product control technique.
• Perform damming product control technique.
• Perform diking product control technique.
• Perform dilution product control technique.
• Perform diversion product control technique.
• Perform retention product control technique.
• Perform remote valve shutoff product control technique.
• Perform vapor dispersion product control technique.
• Perform vapor suppression product control technique.

 

Emergency Management, Emergency Medical Services, Fire Service, Governmental Administrative, Hazardous Materials, Healthcare, Law Enforcement, Public Health, Public Safety Communications, Public Works, Agriculture, Education, Security and Safety, Search and Rescue, Transportation, and any responders having operations-level response duties during a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or explosive (CBRNE)/all-hazards incidents.

Note: This is not the prerequisite course for attendance to the Hazardous Devices School in Huntsville, AL. (Please refer to the Hazardous Materials Technician course)

 

To be eligible for the course, a student must successfully complete the following courses:

• AWR-358-dL Hazardous Materials Awareness Distance Learning;
• IS-100.b, Introduction to the Incident Command System, IS-100, or any of the ICS-100 series;
• IS-200.b ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents, IS-200, or any of the ICS-200 series;
• Have a requirement or responsibility to serve as an operations-level HAZMAT responder;
• Be capable of lifting tools and equipment up to approximately 50 pounds, per the Occupational Safety and Health Administration;
• Be capable of standing and walking for prolonged periods;
• Be capable of donning, operating in, and doffing personal protective equipment to include being physically and mentally capable of wearing a respirator that conforms tightly to the face and/or equipment that encapsulates the head; and
• Be capable of operating in confined spaces.
• Graduates of this program have the opportunity to take the National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications (ProBoard) and the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC) exams for certification at the Hazardous Materials, Operations Level.

This Operations-level course and the successful completion of the Hazardous Materials Technician (HMT) course allows the student to take the National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications (ProBoard) and the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC) exam for Pro Board certification as a Hazardous Materials Technician.

As a professional courtesy, the CDP provides test administration at the CDP facility immediately following the conclusion of the Hazardous Materials Operations course. As a prerequisite for Pro Board and IFSAC accreditation, each participant who elects to take the test must provide with the training application documented proof of NFPA 1072 Hazardous Materials Awareness & Operations training and complete the below course requirements.

• Pass the CDP Hazardous Materials Operations course.
• Pass the skills evaluations conducted as part of the Hazardous Materials Operations course.
• Pass the AFC’s 75-question test at the end of the Hazardous Materials Operations course which combines Awarness and Operations questions.
• Contact AFC’s Registration Office, pay the $30 fee, and request release of your final score.

Please read the Certification Candidate Information Sheet for further information.

The Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) is an Accredited Provider (AP) of Continuing Education Units (CEU) and is authorized to award the following CEUs for successful completion of this activity:

IACET (International Association of Continuing Education and Training) – 4.0 CEUs