Bloomington Township Fire Department began its Hazardous Materials (Haz-Mat) program in 1983. Our hazardous materials capability developed out of a lack of any agency in the area able to respond to such emergencies. The department has gradually made improvements in apparatus and equipment used for hazardous materials response, to become one of Indiana Department of Homeland Security's District 8 hazardous materials response teams. District 8 includes seven counties and encompasses over 3000 square miles. BTFD shares this responsibility with the Columbus Fire Department

   Our hazardous materials response team is staffed by our regular department personnel as well as volunteers. The team currently is comprised of Haz-Mat technician and operation level responders. All members of the department are required to be at least Haz-Mat operations level. The department regularly conducts Haz-Mat Technician classes.  These classes are offered to any firefighter that wishes to attend, and may qualify a technician not currently serving with BTFD to respond to hazardous material runs with the department on a mutual aid bases.

Hazardous materials responses include gas leaks, fuel spills, and hazardous chemical incidents. The majority of these spills are caused by motor carrier accidents. One of our major spills was caused when an Austin Powder explosives truck was hit head-on by a motorist on the 45/46 bypass circling Bloomington, Indiana. The motorist, who had fallen asleep at the wheel, was killed instantly. The Austin Powder truck driver lost control of his truck and the truck rolled onto its side, spilling ammonium nitrate, fuel, and hydraulic fluid onto the bypass. The truck was carrying 16,000 lbs of ammonium nitrate; 10,000 lbs of ANFO (a mixture of ammonium nitrate and fuel); 150 gallons of diesel fuel (used to mix with the dry ammonium nitrate); a case of 60% gel dynamite; a case of blasting caps; and a case of boosters.

   On May 14, 2003, the TravelIR Haz-Mat Chemical Identifier was added to the Bloomington Township Department of Fire & Emergency Services hazardous materials equipment inventory. This equipment was provided by the Indiana State Fire Marshal's office as part of the Indiana State emergency preparedness initiative. The TravelIR, a SensIR Technologies product, uses infrared spectroscopy technology to identify not only hazardous chemicals, but many other substances as well. BTDF&ES maintains a wide array of sophisticated chemical and biological monitoring and identifying equipment including WMD detection equipment.

   Pictured on the left is Bloomington Township Department of Fire & Emergency Services Chief Faron Livingston operating the computer program that works in conjunction with the TravelIR. Bloomington Township Department of Fire & Emergency Services uses this equipment when responding to hazardous materials incidents within our response area as one of Indiana's eleven Render Safe Teams.

   Here is another example of a common Haz-Mat run. A tractor trailer ran the red light, hit two cars, a pickup truck, and a van. The van and semi both erupted in flames. To read more click here

   Bloomington Township Department of Fire & Emergency Services is a member of the Indiana Alliance of Hazardous Materials Responders