Hazardous Materials Response Team
The Kingsport Fire Department has been responding to hazardous material incidents over twenty five years. The department started with a trailer and panel truck with a few employees trained to the operations level. They saw the need to increase training and equipment because of the potential of large scale incidents happening in our coverage area.
We have two major interstates, one major rail line and numerous industrial complexes that we provide coverage for.
The department formed a team that ended up with seven employees per shift, with a total of twenty one team members. The department trained all team members to the technician level in a timely manner. The Sullivan County Commission has adopted Kingsport Fire Department as the designated hazardous material team for the county. Over the years from 1990-the present, equipment and training was upgraded to meet the demand of Kingsport’s coverage area. Kingsport Fire Department was the first agency accredited as a Haz-Mat Team by the State of Tennessee and is one of only three TEMA accredited hazardous material teams. We have over fifty technicians or specialists employed by the department. We cover The City of Kingsport, Sullivan County and assist with coverage of Tennessee Homeland Security District One.