In February, emergency workers in Graniteville, S.C., got a wake-up call: They didn't have the proper equipment to respond to a hazardous material situation. While Aiken County authorities were quick to respond to the train wreck that caused a deadly chlorine gas spill and evacuate the area, they did not have protective equipment to get near the wreck to search for survivors, or non-survivors.

Often times, it takes a disaster to let us know what we are lacking, but local emergency response personnel are working to prevent such a situation from happening.

The Cheraw Fire Department has taken the lead in forming an emergency response team for dealing with hazardous materials caused by industries or highway accidents - or domestic or international terrorism. It is the only team capable of responding to a hazardous material emergency in a three-county area.

Using money from a FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Association) grant received in 2003, the Cheraw FD purchased equipment for the team, such as encapsulating suits, special 60 minute self-contained breathing units and air monitoring equipment, as well as vessel and pipe emergency repair kits.

Team members are comprised of career and volunteer firefighters from the Cheraw Fire Department and from members of county fire departments that have the required training.

While excellent strides have been made in forming and training the Hazardous Materials (Haz Mat) team, chemical protective clothing has a shelf life of only five years. Air monitoring equipment must be calibrated with special gases, and testing tubes must be replaced upon expiration.

Cheraw Fire Chief John L. Melton III said there is no money in the fire department's budget to replace equipment that has expired or used on an actual incident.

The Local Emergency Planning Committee, made up of representatives from fire and rescue squads, law enforcement, Chesterfield General Hospital and local industry, has coordinated grants for the team, but more funding is needed to keep this highly specialized force on call and ready to handle an emergency situation.

Any industry or concerned citizen interested in assisting the Haz Mat team, contact the Cheraw Fire Department, 537-5941. As with most things, we won't miss it until it is gone.