UT Dallas Research, Campus, and Environmental Safety (RCES) in partnership led by Chief Gene Senter, Assistant Chief of Operations Richardson Fire Department (RFD), recently facilitated a three-day (January 10th, 12th, and 14th) training exercise for East Region Hazardous Materials (HazMat) responders, which included teams from Richardson, Grand Prairie, Frisco, Plano, Irving, and Wiley.

This multi-jurisdictional, mock-spill training exercise involved regional HazMat response teams identifying unspecified compounds at UT Dallas’ specialized material handling facility. HazMat responders practiced making safe entry into the building while wearing full tactical containment suits. This exercise allowed the response personnel to gain practical experience operating monitoring devices while trying to identify unknown substances.   

The RCES Environmental Team actively observed HazMat response coordination during the exercise and participated in post-response debriefing. This unique collaborative training exercise allowed our regional HazMat teams to enhance and practice critical life-saving skills while fostering UT Dallas’ strong connections with the North Texas community.

We look forward to our continued collaboration with our valued community partners.