About the Central New Hampshire
Hazardous Materials Response Team

The Central New Hampshire Hazardous Materials Response Team was formed in 1995 to fill a void in the region's emergency response capabilities. The Team provides emergency technician-level hazardous materials response and mitigation services to fifty-three cities and towns with over 200,000 residents encompassing approximately 2,500 square miles in central New Hampshire.

The Team consists of forty dedicated members from area fire departments who have a desire to serve their communities as members of a regional hazardous materials response team. The members of the team train according to the provisions of the OSHA 1910.120 HAZWOPER standard and approximately 75% of the Team is certified at the Hazardous Materials Technician level. Bi-weekly training sessions, at least two annual mutual aid drills, and other outside training sessions provide the members with the education they need to offer each community in the mutual aid districts with a competent, capable, eager group of personnel able of mitigate any level of hazardous materials incident.

The Team is governed by an Oversight Committee which is chaired by the Chief. The Oversight Committee has eight additional members; four are appointed by the President of each regional mutual aid association. Operationally, the Team is led by Chief William Weinhold (66R1). Two Deputy Chiefs with geographical coverage areas (66R2 in the Capital Area and 66R3 in the Lakes Region) act in the Chief's absence and handle requests for assistance in their respective mutual aid area. One Administrative Captain maintains personnel records, handles pager issues, documents, and billing, while one EMS Captain assures that members receive their required annual physicals. One Equipment Captain is responsible for inventory and maintenance of the Team's apparatus and equipment, with assistance from the Team members. One Training Officer guides the Team through training and drills on the subject matter needed throughout the year to meet the requirements necessary to maintain the members' levels of training and certification. The officers are elected by the membership.

All of communities served are members of the Capital Area Fire Mutual Aid Compact or the Lakes Region Mutual Fire Aid Association. As such, the fire department serving each locality provides initial hazardous materials response and investigation to determine the need to request assistance from the Team. When the local fire department requests assistance from the Team an officer is contacted to evaluate the situation and determine the level of response.

The Team is dispatched jointly by both dispatch centers, with Capital Area being the primary point-of-contact. The team is dispatched on 154.335 MHz (Capital Area "Channel 1"), and conducts tactical operations on 154.280 MHz ("Channel 4" for both Capital Area & Lakes Region, also known as "State Fireground"). The Team has been assigned the radio prefix "6-6" to identify itself.

When the Team is activated, members respond and assemble at the scene. The Team's apparatus is staffed by members of the fire department where each vehicle is housed and brought to the scene for the Team members to utilize. The Team's primary focus is life safety. The Team then works to mitigate the hazardous materials incident by containing and controlling the material leak, spill, or release to preserve property and protect the environment. The Team does not perform "clean-up" services. Once the emergency incident is stabilized, the Team can assist in securing a clean-up contractor to dispose of any contained materials.

If you have specific questions, comments, or concerns, you can contact the Central New Hampshire Hazardous Materials Response Team by emailing: info@cnhhazmat.com.

Mailing and business address:
Central New Hampshire Hazardous Materials Response Team
105 Loudon Road, Building #2
PO Box 7206
Concord, NH 03301

The Team may be contacted by telephone by calling the business office of the Capital Area Fire Mutual Aid Compact during regular business hours:
603.225.8988

If you have (or think you might have) a hazardous materials situation contact your local fire department by dialing 9-1-1 immediately.