Local Workers Get Hazmat Training

In a rare opportunity our Newsroom got to sit in and see what real a hazmat, bomb analysis and decontamination training session is like.

All this week, specialized local first responders are participating in Hazmat Mission Specific training. That means that they are suiting up in hazmat suits and going through scenarios that they might encounter in real life situations.

Background info: There are only six of these teams in Ontario and when called upon they could be helping out major cities or responding to emergencies in rural or vacant surroundings. The Thunder Bay team is responsible for covering all of Northern Ontario.  

The Scene: Fire fighters and OPP officers were given a task of entering a “home” (a set built at a controlled training facility) after reports of smoke were received. Fire crews show up and cautiously enter the scene prepared for the worst. After clearing a smoke filled room they come across a pressurized tank that extracts hash oil. A dangerous explosive setup if not handled or dismantled correctly. The two man crew then heads upstairs to check for any victims that can be retrieved.

Upon opening the the upstairs door, the fire fighters discover a body (a dummy) and almost trip an mock explosive mock pipe bomb and the victim who’s also holding an unknown liquid. it’s now up to fire fighters to safely extinguish the fictitious fire and brief OPP officers on what they discovered at the scene.

A two man OPP bomb team enter the scene in full breathing gear; safety suits, oxygen tanks and body monitors incase someone goes down from a contaminant. Officers spot the hash oil tanks and take photos for the team to analyze. When officers enter the upstairs they see the victim and the pipe bomb with the trip wire attached crossing the doorway. Office don’t proceed further, but instead take the time to assess the scene. Beyond the their reach are two tables; one prepared as a mock meth lab and another as a mock bomb building site. Officers take pictures that will be shared at the command centre in order to proceed safely.

With the exception of the fire fighters extinguishing the fictitious fire this is a lot of hurry up and wait — waiting for assessments to come back from the designated safety officer, from drug and air quality testing as well as the experts in bombs, drugs and fire/building safety. Once the fire is out, now the team can figure out the best way to defuse the trip wire and proceed safely without endangering anyone’s life as well as preserving any evidence from the scene.

A special thank you to Program Specialist Dale Moore for allowing our news team special access to the private training facility. We also thank all the hard and diligent officers at the front lines for their bravery and outstanding courage to keep our communities safe.