If you are interested in becoming an instructor for the HazMat/WMD Training Department:  Click Here to Learn More

The International Association of Fire Fighters Hazardous Materials and Weapons of Mass Destruction Training Department's mission is to educate emergency responders about strategies to safeguard their health and safety and to reduce occupational deaths and injuries related to hazardous materials and weapons of mass destruction response.

Over the past 21 years, the IAFF’s HazMat/WMD Department has received more than $48,000,000 to both developed training curricula and directly trained over 84,000 emergency responders. More than 4,000 training programs have been conducted over a wide geographical area representing both rural and urban populations. Additionally, the IAFF has trained approximately 2,362 instructors who have gone on to provide training to an estimated 59,000 additional emergency responders.

Types of Training Available

Funding Sources

Recruit Training Initiative (RTI)

The following federal agencies provide grant funding to the IAFF HazMat Training Department.  This funding allows the IAFF to conduct its HazMat training free of charge (click here to learn more):

Direct Delivery Training (DT)

Instructor Training (Train-the-Trainer - TtT)

Click here Training Courses Available
 

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

IAFF Affiliates

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA)

IAFF affiliates that received training in the last month, receive recruit training regularly, or have adopted our programs:

• Fairfax, VA

• Houston, TX

• Miami Dade, FL

• New York, NY

• Phoenix, AZ

• Tucson, AZ

• Rockville, MD (Montgomery County)

Department of Transportation (DOT)

The Department of Homeland Security - Grants and Training (DHS-G&T)

Success Stories

"I just completed the 40-hour HazMat Technician training in Ocala, Florida. I have been involved with HazMat response with my department for the last 16 years. I have experienced programs in the past where I walked away thinking I just wasted 40 hours of my life. That was not the case this time. The curriculum the IAFF has put together is realistic, well organized and flexible for use by any department. The instructors presented the information in a professional and respectful manner. Their knowledge of the subject matter was impressive."

"The IAFF First Responder Operations program does a good job of creating awareness and the need to protect ourselves over our entire career!"

"A rail tank car left the track and was spilling its contents. I assessed the situation from a distance with binoculars and determined that a product in the car was chlorine. I set-up a defensive perimeter and requested a HAZMAT team. Before taking the course, I would have just rushed up to the tank car to see the situation up close and probably exposed others and myself needlessly to this harmful chemical."  Read more...