Morris Township Fire Awarded Funds For Hazard Preparedness

The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded an Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness Grant to the Morris Township Fire Department. The grant provides funds to ensure firefighters are well-equipped to deal with disastrous situations complicated by hazardous materials.

Hazardous materials training for Morris Township firefighters is slated to begin this month, according to Morris Township officials. The training will allow firefighters to respond safely in situations involving hazardous materials, and will give them new strategies and tactics to deal with such crises.

The grant program, a brainchild of the DOT's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, is funded by registration fees that have been collected from hazardous materials (HazMat) shippers and carriers. These fees fund training and planning grants and since the beginning of the program, approximately $182 million has been awarded in HMEP grants, leading to the training of over 2,266,000 responders. Morris County Fire members will be joining that group.

Image via Morris Township Fire Department, used under Creative Commons.