Canajoharie, NY — February 24th — On February 24, the Canajoharie Vol Fire Department held its yearly hazardous materials refresher course at their Erie Boulevard station. The mandatory meeting was attended by forty-three department members and a number of firefighters from the Fort Plain Volunteer Fire Department. Wes Jones, a fire teacher at New York State, led the course, which covered risk assessment, hazard identification, and how first responders in North America should apply the Emergency Response Guidebook.

The limitations of personal protective equipment, exposure concerns, and normal procedures for managing possible hazardous materials events were also discussed by firefighters. Volunteer firefighters can stay prepared for situations involving chemicals or other hazardous materials and comply with New York State PESH safety regulations by participating in yearly refresher training.