Seven hazardous material response teams from Tennessee, Oklahoma and New Mexico competed in carefully designed emergency scenarios at the 28th annual HAZMAT Challenge at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Created by the Lab’s Emergency Management Division, teams compete to build skills and camaraderie, share knowledge and take home top honors.
Each team of five participating this year represented agencies from the Santa Fe Fire Department, Clovis Fire Department, Edmond Fire Department from Oklahoma, two teams from Los Alamos Fire Department, Laboratory HAZMAT, and Y-12 Fire Department from Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
Diverse scenarios
The challenge involved teams responding to simulated disasters including:
- Clandestine drug lab with explosives
- Overturned tractor-trailer that requiring flammable fuel to be pumped out
- Biological lab accident
- Tractor-trailer accident at a gas station
- Anthrax incident at a hotel
- Prom bus involving a toxic industrial chemical
- Motor vehicle accident involving radiological sources
Top awards
Each scenario was evaluated and graded by neutral experts in the field. Following each exercise the team was debriefed and discuss the aspects of the response and points are awarded.
This year the top three finishers in the technical challenge went to:
- 1st place the Los Alamos National Laboratory HAZMAT team
- 2nd place Clovis Fire Department
- 3rd place Edmond, Oklahoma Fire Department
The obstacle course winner was Los Alamos Fire Department #2.
The host team, the Laboratory’s Emergency Response, gained a wealth of knowledge from the scenarios and networking with other Hazmat Teams from around the nation.
“The challenge we face each year is to develop new scenarios, so work on next year’s event starts immediately following this year’s event,” said HAZMAT Challenge organizer Christopher Barondeau.
Teams can start registering for the 2025 HAZMAT Challenge in May. For more information visit the HAZMAT Challenge web page.
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