Hazardous Materials Awareness (HMA24) - Summer PSTC 2026

Course Goal: The Hazardous Materials Awareness (HMA24) course aims to prepare students who, during their normal duties, could encounter an emergency involving hazardous materials/weapons of mass destruction (WMD) or a terrorist/criminal incident. They are expected to understand how to do the following at the HAZMAT Awareness Level: collect hazard information, use the Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG), isolate and deny entry at a HAZMAT scene, identify protective actions at a terrorist/criminal incident, and make appropriate notifications at a HAZMAT incident. This course serves as initial training as required under 29 CFR 1910.120 and the educational requirements of NFPA 470 standard to the Awareness Level. Course Description: The primary target audiences for this course are the First Responders (fire, rescue, emergency medical, police, etc.) who will witness or discover a hazardous substance/materials release or a terrorist/criminal incident. Students will be trained to initiate an emergency response sequence by notifying the proper authorities of the incident. They shall have sufficient training or have had sufficient experience to objectively demonstrate competency to understand what hazardous substances are, the risks, potential outcomes, the ability to recognize and identify their presence, their role, including site security, safe scene management and how to use the U.S. Department of Transportation (US DOT) Emergency Response Guidebook during a hazardous materials/WMD or a terrorist/criminal emergency. Reference(s): IFSTA Hazardous Materials for First Responders, Sixth Edition, Chapters 1-3. Each student is required to have access to the textbook and IFSTA’s Hazardous Materials for First Responders Student Workbook. Student Equipment/Supplies: Pen/pencil & notebook and recommended textbook. Competency Evaluation Mechanism(s): 100% Class Attendance. Student performance on practical skill evolutions and written examination grade (minimum passing grade of 70% required for successful course completion). Lecture / Lab / Test (Hours/Minutes):  4.5 Lecture / 1 Lab / .5 Test / 0.6 CEUs Prerequisite(s): None