Linn County Regional Hazardous Materials Response Team
The Linn County Regional Hazardous Materials Response Team falls under the budgetary direction of the Linn County Emergency Management Agency. The Hazardous Materials Team is comprised of both volunteers and career personnel who train together to mitigate hazardous situations throughout Linn County.
The Linn County Hazardous Materials Response team was founded in 1978 and began serving the citizens of Linn County. In 1996 Linn County Hazardous Materials Team signed its first agreement to cover Benton County for response protection. Currently the Linn County Regional Team has response contracts with seven counties in eastern Iowa: Benton, Buchanan, Cedar, Clayton, Delaware, Fayette and Jones. The Linn County Regional HAZMAT Team currently provides services covering 5,278 square miles, which includes a population of 350,440, 106 incorporated cities, approximately 35 miles of the Mississippi river, 259 miles of US Interstate Highways and 276 miles of railroads.
Hazardous materials pose a real and potentially disastrous threat to the citizens of Linn County. Hazardous materials incidents may include, but are not limited to, responses involving fires, spills, transportation accidents, chemical reactions and explosions. Associated hazards involved may include toxicity, flammability, radiological, corrosives, explosives, health, or any combination of these items.
Linn County is proactive in both planning and emergency response relative to hazardous materials incidents, as well as potential terrorist incidents involving weapons of mass destruction.
