Target Specialty Products Hosts HAZMAT Training

Firefighters from local Southern California fire departments pose with Target associates at the HAZMAT training at Target’s Santa Fe Springs, Calif. office on February 13, 2008.

SANTA FE SPRINGS, Calif. – Several Southern California fire departments conducted hazardous materials/chemical spill training at Target’s Santa Fe Springs, Calif., warehouse. More than 50 firefighters representing the cities of Huntington Beach, Long Beach, Santa Fe Springs, Vernon, Los Angeles and Orange counties, and the U.S. Forest Service participated in the exercise held February 13, 2008.

Target’s Regulatory Affairs Manager Gary Maxwell and Operations Manager Ed Duarte helped facilitate the mock chemical spill, and subsequent evacuation and rescue. After arriving on the scene, firefighters broke into teams, surveyed the situation, suited up in HAZMAT gear, and implemented their response.

After the exercise, the firefighters and Target personnel met to assess the response effort and to discuss what worked well, and how the response could be improved.

“Training in a warehouse setting with real products helps replicate an actual emergency so first responders can test their emergency response skills,” said Maxwell. “Our processes have improved as a result of these training sessions as we learn what will be expected of us in the event of an emergency.”

Target has hosted numerous HAZMAT training exercises at its Santa Fe Springs facility in recent years.  The company’s Sacramento and Tempe facilities have hosted similar training programs for local firefighters.