The Ingham County Hazardous Material Response Team, with continued support from Michigan State University, is now official.

The group officially announced its activation and unveiled its long-anticipated "HazMat" truck on April 22, 1997 at the Ingham County Court House in Mason.

The truck is a state-of-the art vehicle capable of responding to clean up any release of hazardous materials in the county.

Since an accidental spill or release of a hazardous material may occur at any time, several emergency management organizations, including MSU, have worked with the Ingham County Board of Commissioners to enhance the county's overall ability to respond to hazardous incidents.

The team has been organized into the Ingham County Operational Level HazMat Response Team, or the HMRT for short. MSU's Office of Radiation, Chemical & Biological Safety (ORCBS) is involved in the training of the team.

The Local Emergency Planning Commission (LEPC) volunteer-based team is composed of citizens from local governments, universities, businesses, county agencies and local public safety departments throughout the county. The goal is to maintain a fully trained and equipped response force that can protect the public and property by responding quickly and efficiently to hazardous material releases in Ingham County.