Regional HAZMAT Team

The Roanoke Valley Regional Hazardous Materials (HazMat) Team was established in 1981 and is one of 13 regional teams in Virginia.  It is a full-service team comprised of 36 Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) trained responders with equipment and training to handle chemical/biological hazards.

The team has responded to incidents ranging from an anhydrous ammonia spill at a fixed facility and anthrax threats to railway and highway wrecks. As a regional team, the response area includes the City of Roanoke, as well as the area from Lexington to Henry County (north/south) and Bedford County to Wythe County (east/west), and all areas in-between.

Primary coverage is the Roanoke Valley, where there are more than 100 businesses that manufacture, store, or ship hazardous materials and/or waste. With a Regional Airport, 2 interstate highways, 3 state highways, regional hubs for 3 commercial carriers, and a national railroad, the Roanoke Valley had the 3rd-highest potential for a hazardous materials incidents in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The HazMat Team is proud of its heritage and response history and is continually striving to provide the highest professional response to the Roanoke Valley.