SWCPHP Joins in with LANL's HazMat Challenge

by Paul Woodson, Ph.D.
SWCPHP Administrator

July 30 through August 3, 2007 The Southwest Center for Public Health Preparedness sponsored the Midwest City, Moore, and Norman Fire Departments to compete in the 11th Annual Los Alamos National Laboratories HazMat Challenge in New Mexico. This is the fourth year SWCPHP has had Oklahoma representation at the challenge.

There were thirteen participants this year with the following honors for Oklahoma particpants:

• Midwest City won first place in the technical division and first place in overall performance
• Moore claimed second place in the technical events and seventh in the overall competition
• Norman placed fourth in the technical events and sixth in the overall competition

This was the first year since the challenge was begun that one team (Midwest City) won both first place awards in the same year.

Dr. Paul Woodson, SWCPHP Center Administrator was on-site and assisted LANL personnel as an evaluator at one of the challenge scenario events. The national recognized and unique setting at LANL has multiple exercise scenarios with leaking railcars, clandestine laboratory mock-ups, wrecked semi-transports, confined space facilities, hazardous valve tree leak mock-ups, conditions with chemical, biological, and/or radiological exposure conditions, and many other actual situations that utilize real life-sized props each requiring HazMat responders to function in level A personal protective equipment suits in timed and critical evaluated assignments.

Click HERE for more information about LANL's HazMat Challenge.