HAZMAT Team Members Take Chemistry 101

HAZMAT Team members get a bit of Chemistry 101 this week.

Oskaloosa, Iowa – A firefighters work is never done, and neither is the process of their learning and training.

This week, firefighters were once again taking lessons on HAZMAT training, this time from Oskaloosa High School Science teachers Michael Goudy and Mauree Haage. The purpose was to become more familiar with periodic tables, how chemicals may bond or react with each other. “So it’s basic 101 chemistry,” said Oskaloosa Fire Chief Mark Neff.

This also helped to familiarize the firefighters with what chemicals may do during a fire as well. “It’s really interesting and it keeps the brain stimulated,” says Neff.

The Mahaska County HAZMAT team has been in operation for a year now, and Neff says that he’s pleased with where the team is going and what they have accomplished so far. “We feel we’re a good asset for the community and Mahaska County.”

“These team members, this is over and above,” said Neff of the HAZMAT Team that is taking part in the training. “This is stuff that will make us much better at what we do and hopefully keep the community and Mahaska County, and the communities within it, safer.”