State Government scraps Regional Hazmat funding

By ERIN JUSSEAUME

Clark Fork Valley Press

Hazmat incidents aren’t things that regional residents usually think of; however with the state government scrapping the funding for regional hazmat, there are more then a few questions left unanswered.

The Valley Press reporter(like most residents that live in rural Montana) was unaware of this particular budget cut; and its potential to put first responders at risk.

Recently the Plains Volunteer Fire Department along with the Plains-Paradise Rural Fire District started the first of a two day Hazmat Operational level training to be correctly educated should a hazmat incident occur.

What was brought to light during the training was how the eight hour course that local firefighters were taking part in operations level hazmat was originally a 48 hour course.

“The current training that we are doing is only minimal to the extent of what it should be. We are only obtaining the training to be able to set up a perimeter to then wait for a clean up/technician team to take control of an incident if it happens,” said Plains Volunteer Fire Department Chief Anthony Young.

“Even though we are undergoing operational hazmat training, it’s limited to its full extent of what we could be getting,” he added.

Why were hours cut? The main reason behind the cut training hours is a direct reflection on the Montana State Government cutting the funding for Regional Hazmat.

Another factor from budget cuts to this essential training is that Chief Young said had it not been for specialized trainer Tom Ziegler joining the department they would be scratching to find a way to get local fire teams efficiently trained should something happen.

“The Governor [Gov. Steve Bullock] cut funding in areas of essential services rather than elective type services such as glass blowing classes. So taxpayer money is not going where it is needed and that makes me angry,” said Senator Jennifer Fielder when approached on the issue.

“Even though we are known as the Treasure State, we are not receiving the revenues of our treasures so money is tight. But we as a government shouldn’t be putting first responders at risk by cutting funding from essential services,” she further added.

Not only did Sen. Fielder express her frustration as to the budget cuts to this particular area, she further emphasized that when it comes to rural areas, the funded trainings are extremely important to keep residents safe.

However the Governor’s office said that when Gov. Steven Bullock had put his proposed budget cuts to the legislative majority it had included the keeping of the hazmat essential training funds.

“The cuts to these particular funds were done by the legislative majority during regular session,” said a spokeswoman from Bullock’s office.

The spokeswoman added that the proposed balanced budget would have maintained the essential services fundings such as the Regional Hazmat.

“He [Bullock] did not want these cuts that were made by the legislative majority,” she added.

A copy of the 2017 Legislative Impacts Summary was made available to the Valley Press which shows that there was no representative from the Sanders County District within the group that voted to cut the funding.

The document shows that only four of the twelve Senators voted to keep the funding in place.

What makes emergency responders a little more than worried was that when the information was presented it stated;

‘It may be necessary to take some of the air monitoring equipment out of service. Monitoring allows the technicians to clearly define the hot zone, without it, we are guessing.’

The details also included,’ Many (if not most Fire Chiefs) have stated they would not send a team if called with no reimbursement.

Though the original asking was $65k, then dropped to $22k then to $11k; it looks as though the asking for efficient funds was being compromised from the get go.

“Even if the funding was $11 thousand dollars, the Federal Government would have matched that dollar for dollar. It means that we would have some money to keep things going for the specialized teams to even be able to continue regional trainings,” said Chief Young.

The state of Montana has six specialized Hazmat teams, they are located in Helena, Kalispell, Missoula, Bozeman, Billings and Great Falls.

Speaking to Operations Chief Paul Finley of the Missoula team, when asked if he had received any official word of funding cuts he said,” I don’t recall any official word from government. But the funding is cut.”

“This affects us greatly. We have specialized equipment to upkeep along with a long list of other essential parts that come along with this type of response team,” he said.

“With the funding we had previously [before it was cut], it could cover equipment upgrades or replacements, calibrations of our specialized air sensors and even be able to efficiently train rural fire departments like what Sanders County has to an operations level,” he further explained.

Where does this leave Sanders County along with other regional counties that do not have a specialized hazmat team? That is still being determined.

“We have not been told we cannot respond, however it does make it difficult for us when we now have to determine the situation and its potential risks,” said Finley.

“We also have to rely on the information from the responding crews. So if they do not have at least an operational level of hazmat training, that could be a potential of lives at risk not only for the teams that may have to travel to the incident but for those first responders that are already there,” he went on to explain.

Plains Chief of Police Shawn Emmett said that he was unaware that the budget cuts had affected the regional hazmat funding and said it was more than a little worrying.

“Yes, it worries me. We have trains and trucks that carry chemicals, fuel, av-gas and more through here,” he said.

“Should we have an accident or derailment we are putting our first responders at further risk if they can’t get the training they need to correctly identify a HAZMAT incident,” he continued to say.

When explaining further Chief Emmett also said that it not only directly affects the Fire Departments here in Plains and Sanders County, but also all the emergency first responders that could be at risk.

“When they cut the funding for correct training, it flows down through many departments,” he said.

“People don’t see the Titanic before it sinks,” he said in direct reflection to this essential funding being cut.

Now its left to local fire departments to be even more proactive in obtaining correct trainings in the potential something could happen.

Putting lives at risk unnecessarily, seems to be the same thoughts that are rolling through first responders and that of Sen. Fielder.

Plains-Paradise Rural Fire District Chief James Russell also chimed in with his worries on the funding cuts.

”For us it creates a real burden for our volunteers that we are restricted with the support from specialized teams being in more of rural area where we pick up extra traffic if I-90 shuts down,” said Chief Russell.

“It appears that the ‘value’ of what we do is not recognized at state government level. Without solid resources we can’t effectively keep our residents as safe as we can because our already limited resources are quickly becoming non-existent,” he added.

When it comes to local government and first responders it is clear that when cuts are being made during legislative sessions, rural Montanans in counties such as Sanders are almost being forgotten about.

“What happens if we have an accident and we need the help from the HAZMAT team(s) from Missoula or Kalispell, we don’t know and that’s worrying,” said Chief Emmett.

“It’s unfortunate that the state didn’t continue to adequately fund hazmat training. It leaves many rural communities in a precarious position if this type of accident occurs. With increased risk potential, this should have received higher priority in the state budget,” said Plains Mayor Danny Rowan of the cuts.

“Our public representatives have not effectively or efficiently weighed up the multitude of variables that comes with scrapping these funds,” said Chief Young.

“I hope it (funding) can be resolved before a major incident occurs and not after,” he added.