Tennessee Emergency Management Agency
James Bassham, Director

The following courses are specialized courses dealing with hazardous materials issues. Some of the courses are geared towards community leaders, while others are designed to train hazardous materials team members or to orient local non-specialized emergency personnel. Please contact your TEMA Regional Office for further information.

Operations Level

Initial Response to HazMat Incidents: Basic Concepts (IRHMI: BC) [F236]. This 16-hour course covers the basic operating procedures for first responders before, during and after a hazmat incident. The curriculum defines hazardous materials, and describes the roles, responsibilities and risks associated with a HazMat incident. It also discusses the limitations of, and identifies resources appropriate to emergency and non-emergency situations. This is a National Fire Academy course taught in the community (day, evening, weekend, or split) by qualified contact personnel and TEMA instructors at the convenience of the participants. Students must be members of emergency services organizations and the courses are scheduled contingent upon the availability of instructors and/or funding. Includes written exam and earns 1.6 CEUs. This course is most effective when delivered in four consecutive 4-hour blocks or two consecutive 8-hour blocks.

Initial Response to HazMat Incidents: Concept Implementation (IRHMI: CI) [F237]. This is a 16-hour course that teaches first responders the basic steps of a systematic response to hazmat incidents. It 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. This is an NFA course taught in the community by contract or TEMA personnel, and is most effective when taught in four consecutive 4-hour or two consecutive 8-hour blocks. A prerequisite is the IRHMI: BC course within the preceding 12 months, and scheduling is contingent upon the availability of instructors and/or funding. A written exam is given and 1/6 CEUs are awarded.

Command Level

NFA NIMS/Incident Command System [F806] is a 16-hour course for emergency response supervisors, that teaches a method of command that can be used for any type or size of emergency, ranging from a minor incident involving a single unit to a major emergency or disaster involving several agencies and/or jurisdictions. Procedures for controlling personnel, facilities, equipment and communications are covered. Other topics include: reasons for using the ICS, the expandability of ICS command skills, table-top exercises in applying ICS and resource information. Two versions of this course are available: the NFA version specifically for fire service personnel and a TEMA-developed generic version available for other emergency services personnel. Includes written exam and awards 1.6 CEUs.

Technician Level

Hazardous Materials Team Operations (HMTO) is an 80-hour resident course which prepares team members to operate safely and as a unit in dealing with 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. Field trips are conducted to reinforce classroom activities and the course concludes with a full-scale team exercise. Prerequisites include the IRHMI: BC and IRHMI: CI courses, FEMA IS-700, IS-800, and sixteen (16) hours of classroom command level ICS; FEMA IS-3 and the TEMA 8 hour Radiological Monitor course. Students must have completed Command Level training. Includes a written test and practical (hands-on) exam, and can award 8.0 CEUs.

To become a Hazardous Materials Technician, candidates must complete the following courses:

• IRHMI: Basic Concepts
• IRMHI: Concept Implementation
• NIMS Incident Command System: (FEMA IS-700, IS-800, and sixteen (16) hours of classroom command level ICS)
• FEMA IS-3 and the TEMA 8 hour Radiological Monitor Course
• Emergency Response to Terrorism: Awareness/Basic Concepts
• Hazardous Materials Team Operations

Technician Re-Certification

OSHA 29 CFR 1910.120 requires annual refresher training of sufficient content and duration to maintain employees' competencies and demonstrations of competence in those areas at least yearly. It is the responsibility of the employer to maintain re-certification responsibilities as required under the law. The HazMat Technicians or Specialists can ask their TEMA Area Coordinator for assistance on re-certification. Their employer must maintain an employee file with the certification documents. An audit of training records and/or certification documents will be performed periodically by TEMA Area Coordinators and/or the TEMA Training Office.

To maintain Technician or Specialist level status, the response professional must complete 8 hours of HazMat training annually.
The following procedure is for re-certification of Hazardous Materials Technicians and Specialists:

1. The technician or specialist will utilize the appropriate form to document their continued utilization of skills, training opportunities, and successes and competency evaluations since the last issue of the certificate.
2. The technician or specialist will attach supporting documentation to the form as required. This may include training certificates, interdepartmental training records, or other documentation which indicate training, response or recovery operations.
3. The technician or specialist will have his/her supervisor certify that the requirements have been met for re-certification and sign the form.
4. The TEMA Area Coordinator will then forward the form to the TEMA Regional Director for review.
5. The TEMA Regional Director will then, if appropriate, sign and forward the form to the TEMA Training Office for reissue of the certificate.

The required forms are available from the nearest TEMA Regional Office.

Radiological courses are taught to prepare personnel to respond to emergencies involving transportation of radiological materials or to respond to events associated with potential accidents at the state's nuclear power plants or the DOE facilities in Oak Ridge.

Please contact a TEMA Regional Office in your area for further information on available classes.

Regional offices are listed here: EAST, MIDDLE, or WEST.

Modular Emergency Radiological Response Transportation Training Course (MERRTT)

This is a modular based Department of Energy course designed to train responders to radiological accidents. The MERRTT Course will be the basic Radiological Training Course for radiological response training conducted in Tennessee. Course includes radiation fundamentals, use of radiation detection instruments, radiation monitoring techniques, and protective actions. The FEMA Independent Study Course IS-3 is a prerequisite.

• All Responders. Responders who normally respond to transportation and industrial accidents should complete four hours of radiological awareness training. (MERRTT modules 1-5)
• Emergency Responders. Responders who enter the accident scene to perform rescue operations should receive MERRTT training Modules 1-6.
• Radiological Emergency Workers. Selected responders who are equipped with radiological instrumentation and who have duties associated with response to support offsite functions in the Emergency Planning Zones (EPZ) around fixed nuclear facilities should receive MERRTT Modules 1-4 and 9 and 10.
• HazMat Operations Level Responders (Radiological Monitors). Emergency responders who take defense actions and have radiological detection instruments assigned should complete MERRTT Modules 1-6, 8-11, and 13.
• HazMat Technicians Level Responders. Emergency Responders that take offensive actions in a radioactive event and have instrumentation to determine gross radiological conditions should complete MERRTT Modules 1-15 and Practicals 1-4.
• HazMat Specialist Level Responders and Incident Commanders. Specialist and IC's should complete the full course. (2 days)

Modular Emergency Radiological Response Transportation Training Course Train the Trainer (MERRTT TTT)

This course will certify the instructor both in the State of Tennessee and Federally with the Department of Energy to teach the MERRTT to Emergency Responders. The TTT includes the full MERRTT plus additional modules. The FEMA Independent Study Course IS-3 is a prerequisite.

Fundamentals Course for Radiological Response (G320).

This four-day course offered once a year for state and local radiological response team members covers the concepts of radiation protection, radiation detection instruments, nuclear weapons effects, peacetime radiological protective actions, procedures to support planning, emergency, and recovery activities in the event of a radiological incident. The course is a prerequisite for HM Technician level and advanced radiological courses, and it is taught by TEMA personnel and other qualified instructors.

Radiological Emergency Response Operations Course (RERO) (B301).

RERO is a resident course conducted at the Noble Training Center in Anniston, Ala. The course is designed to provide Hazmat Team members with the defensive operational requirement and techniques for proper response and management of incidents involving radioactive hazards. Recommended for Operations level team members that wish to specialize in Radiological Response.

Advanced Radiological Incident Operation Course (ARERO) (B302).

ARERO is a resident course conducted at the Noble Training Center in Anniston, Ala. The course is designed to provide Hazmat Team members with the offensive operational requirement and techniques for proper response and management of incidents involving radioactive hazards. Recommended for Technician level HazMat team members that wish to specialize in Radiological Response.

Hospital Emergency Department Management of Radiation Accidents [G346]

Nine hours of classroom instruction and practical exercises for physicians, nurses, and providers of emergency medical services in hospitals. Areas of instruction are introduction to radiation accidents, preparation for reception of radiation accident victims, and hospital emergency care of the radiation accident patient. Includes group exercises.

Radiological Series Radiological Instructor III (E425).

FEMA B 425 is a resident course conducted at the Noble Training Center in Anniston, Ala. This course is designed to qualified instructors as Radiological instructors in the following courses:
- DOE Modular Emergency Radiological Response Team Training
- FEMA G 320 Fundamental Course for Radiological Response
- FEMA G 346 Hospital Emergency Department Management of Hazardous Material Accidents.
HM team leaders and radiological instructors may apply for this training after completing the three courses.