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New Federal Grant to Help Train State of Washington First Responders to Deal with Hazardous Materials Incidents

Police and firefighters in the state of Washington will be better prepared to deal with hazardous materials incidents thanks to a new federal grant of over $206,000, Thomas Barrett, administrator of the U.S. Department of Transportation¿s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), announced today.

Barrett made the announcement during a visit to a fire station today in Bellevue, WA, where he witnessed a demonstration of firefighter response to a hazardous materials event.

"These funds will help first responders before disaster strikes so they can better protect their communities," said PHMSA Administrator Thomas Barrett.

The grant to Washington was awarded under the Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness Grant Program administered by PHMSA.

The grant program helps the nation¿s approximately 4,000 local emergency planning committees prepare and carry out hazardous materials emergency response plans and conduct commodity flow studies that identify transportation hazards. Since 1993, approximately 1.9 million responders and others have received training assistance nationwide as a result of the grant program.

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