The information gathered from the survey will be shared with Department of Homeland Security officials to convey the hazmat capabilities and needs of these fire departments.
"The IAFC, in our key role as the leadership organization of the fire and emergency service, has undertaken this two-nation project to improve the readiness and capabilities of the United States and Canada to respond to the everyday challenges of hazmat response, as well as the terrible threats of weapons of mass destruction and terrorism," said IAFC Executive Director Garry Briese.
He said the goal of this project is to identify and categorize all the hazmat teams in the United States and Canada. "We must know the capabilities, and deficiencies, of these key components of our nations' response if we are going to clearly articulate their needs to improve their capabilities," he said.
All organized Level A (Type I) and Level B (Type II) teams are requested to participate and return the completed survey as soon as possible.
To participate in the survey, e-mail [email protected] or visit http://www.fsi.uiuc.edu/Homeland_Security/index.cfmwww.fsi.uiuc.edu/Homeland_Security/index.cfm (the link is in the middle of the page where it says "International Association of Fire Chiefs Questionnaire"). All completed survey questionnaires should be forwarded to [email protected] or faxed to (708) 460-1086.
The Illinois Fire Chiefs Association will compile the data to generate a profile of the hazmat teams, which will help in recognizing local capabilities as well as where and what local hazmat capabilities are lacking. The IAFC will provide a summary document on the findings to its members. However, all critical information will remain confidential.