Hazardous materials response requires specially trained technicians to have significant working knowledge of chemistry in addition to firefighting skills. In addition, these technicians train for weapons of mass destruction preparedness and response.
Hazardous materials incidents can range from small events such as fire in a private pool house where chlorine is stored to a large tanker truck that spills anhydrous ammonia, gasoline, or some other hazardous/flammable substance. As trucks carrying the potentially lethal cargo traverse the Town with numerous shipments a day, storage and use has become commonplace. The potential for a hazardous materials incident in Hampton is extremely high.