260 N. Myrtle School Rd.
Gastonia, NC 28052
704.866.6806
Fire
The Gastonia Fire Department’s Special Operations Division is comprised of two branches, hazardous materials mitigation and technical rescue; supervised by the Chief of Training, Mark Rutherford. Each branch achieves top performance through coordinated training and education programs taught throughout the United States. Captain William Thompson is the coordinator for the hazardous material branch and Captain Jody Blanton coordinates the technical rescue branch.
There are 45 members of the special operations division. These members are cross-trained in rescue and hazardous materials. However, each team requires some specialty training. The rescue branch has been fortunate in obtaining highly specialized training in disciplines ranging from; high angle rescue, confined space rescue and swift water rescue from experts that are internationally renowned. The rescue teams training, along with the equipment and personnel that they can provide, has led to the team being the most requested “certified” heavy rescue team in Gaston County.
The hazardous materials branch, in an effort to continually expand their disciplines, has recently begun taking classes to receive specialist certification in “weapons of mass destruction”. The required classes will allow the team members to obtain specialized training through the Department of Homeland security. Some of the specialties are; biological response, taught at Ft. McClellan Alabama, Radiological response, taught at the Nevada test site, and explosive response, taught at New Mexico Tech in Socorro New Mexico. These courses will ensure the Gastonia Fire Department’s hazardous materials team is ready to meet the new challenges confronting emergency responders today.
The rescue and hazardous materials branch are able to meet these challenges thanks to the state of the art equipment that has been obtained through municipal budgets as well as Department of Homeland Security grants. This equipment is housed on five specialized apparatus; 1998 E-One rescue truck, two- 1989 Chevrolet equipment trucks, and two- 2005 Ford F-550 trucks with 38 foot trailers.
The Gastonia Fire Department has mutual aid agreements and contracts with Gaston County and other surrounding communities for hazardous materials and technical rescue response
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