FY2011 Arlington Fire Department Annual Report FY 2011 | Page 35

The Special Operations (Spec Ops) Section
consists of the Hazardous Materials
Response Team (HMRT), the Swift Water
Rescue/Dive Team (SWRDT), and the
Technical Rescue Team (TRT). Special
Operations teams are staffed with highly
motivated firefighters that have completed
rigorous training and are equipped with
specialized equipment. They are the
Department‘s lead response to non-routine,
emergency incidents. To ensure competence,
members undergo over 8,800 total staff hours
of specialized training each year in addition to
their regular Fire and EMS training. The
Teams work under a concept of interdependency, supporting each other in
extremely hazardous emergencies.
Comprehensively they are prepared for:

Class Type

Staff Training Hours

Confined Space

510

Dive Rescue

252

Gas Well Rescue
Hazmat

49
4,700

High Angle Rescue

905

Low Angle Rescue

60

Structural Collapse

214

Swift Water

589

Trench Rescue

204

Hazardous Material Releases
Chemical/Biological/Radiological/Nuclear/Explosive
(CBRNE) Homeland Security Threat Detection and
Mitigation
Swift Water Rescue
Dive
Rope Rescue
Confined Space Rescue
Trench Rescue
Structural Collapse Rescue
The HMRT is responsible for responding to and mitigating
a wide range of emergency incidents involving hazardous
materials — from overturned tanker trucks, the accidental
release of volatile chemicals, to investigation of
suspicious substances. The HMRT is an integral part of
the City‘s Homeland Security CBRNE response plan, and
works closely with AFD‘s Explosive Ordinance Disposal
Team. HMRT supports all Special Events by providing
CBRNE detection and response capability. HMRT
provided critical components of protecting the Super
Bowl. They performed 24/7 air and radiation monitoring, in and around Cowboys
Stadium beginning a week before the game and throughout.

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Working Together to Make Arlington Better.