Tennessee Emergency Management Agency
James Bassham, Director

This 4- hour resident course covers the basic skills to recognize, detect, and identify the presence of hazardous materials during an emergency. Students will learn how to define and describe how hazardous materials are classified; understand the risks associated with them and proper notification procedures Other topics of instruction include: Understanding the importance of initiating command and control activities during a hazardous materials incident, surveying a hazardous material incident and identifying the containment systems and materials involved, and use of the Emergency Response Guidebook.

Students who successfully complete this course will have met the standards under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.120 and NFPA 472 (2008).

Target Audience:  All first responders

Prerequisites:  None

This 40-hour resident course covers the basic operating procedures for first responder that teaches a systematic response to hazardous material incidents. The curriculum defines hazardous materials, and describes the roles, responsibilities and risks associated with a incident. It also describes the types, uses and sources of information needed to identify hazards, as well as the basic options, requirements and limitations of methods used to control, contain or confine a hazmat incident. Students will participate in hands-on instruction and participate in group activities during the course. A written exam is given at the end of the course.

Target audience:  Primary – Fire Fighters - Law Enforcement - EMS

Prerequisites:  ICS 700, ICS 800, ICS 100, ICS 200 (16 hr classroom), TEMA Awareness, IS-3 (RAD), and SCBA qualified. Students need to bring Air Pack & Full Air Tank to the course

Students who successfully complete this course will have met the standards under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.120 and NFPA 472 (2008).

Secondary:   All other emergency response organizations  

TEMA has developed the HMTO 80-hour course in which the individual student is trained to operate in an offensive mode when responding to a hazardous materials incident.  It is also designed to prepare team members to operate safely and as a unit in dealing with Hazardous Materials incidents. Emphasis is on teamwork and the use and limitations of existing team equipment. Content includes personal protection, safety procedures, basic physical and chemical properties, container characteristics, basic tactics and guidelines for team policies, procedures and operations. Module quizzes are utilized to evaluate class progress.  Field trips and hands-on competency drills are conducted to reinforce classroom activities.  There is a final test and the course concludes with an evaluated written and practical (hands-on) exam, with a full-scale team exercise.  An average score of 80 must be maintained to successfully complete the course.  At least one of these courses is offered in each TEMA region per year, contingent upon funding.

TEMA is currently working on updating this course.

Reciprocity: Either one of the following Tennessee Fire and Codes Academy’s (TFACA) hazardous materials courses are considered equivalent to the TEMA Hazardous Materials for Operational Level Response course: Recruit/Firefighter I – F100  (400 hrs) course (NFPA 2008) and Hazardous Materials Operations Level Hands-on-FF171 (32 hrs) course (NFPA 2008).

Target audience: Local HM team members

Prerequisites: TEMA Awareness, TEMA Haz Mat Operations or the two courses conducted by Tennessee Fire and Codes Academy listed above, ICS 700, ICS 800, ICS 100, ICS 200 (16 hr classroom) or NFA ICS, IS-3 (RAD),TEMA Radiological Monitoring (8hr) or the MERRTT 16 hr course.

TEMA works with the Department of Energy and delivers this course in two versions the full 16 hour offering and the one day 8 hour version for radiological monitoring only.  The course gives and understanding of basic radiological response hazards and safety and teaches the responders to safely monitor for radiation.

Target audience: Local and state emergency responders working with, in or around radiological hazards

Prerequisites: FEMA IS 3: Radiological Emergency Management 

This 3 day course covers the concepts of radiation protection, radiation detection instruments, radiological monitoring techniques, radiological hazards and protective actions, team building, and basic procedures to support planning and response for emergency and recovery activities in the event of a radiological incident The course covers all types of radiological hazards from fixed facility to transportation to WMD.

Target audience:  Local and state emergency responders working with, in or around radiological hazards

Prerequisites:    FEMA IS 3: Radiological Emergency Management 

MERRTT 8 hrs