The Hazardous Materials Response Unit (HMRU) has a multi-function mission in the response, force protection, and support in the State Police role as a law enforcement, interdiction, and prevention agency. HMRU provides response and planning support for chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive incidents to include, agent surveillance, detection, evidence collection, sampling and identification of Hazardous Materials/CBRNE materials. HMRU can also provide direct support in decontamination, environmental monitoring, scene management, and resource acquisition.

NJSP HMRU provides round the clock response capabilities to hazardous materials, clandestine laboratories, and CBRNE incidents throughout NJ. Its mission is to assist local, other state and federal agencies in determining the extent of the incident and when necessary, document, collect, and analyze any material(s) or hazardous evidence.

NJSP HMRU is highly mobile and carries state of the art diagnostistic and field analytical testing equipment with reach back capability. This reach back capability allows for the information and findings in the field to be transmitted and viewed by specialists in a specific field.

HMRU also is tasked to provide CBRNE / HazMat training to include: CBRNE / HazMat First Responder Awareness, Operations and Technician level training programs, as well as, custom designed responder training programs.

Under OSHA 29 CFR Part 1910.120, specific levels of training have been designed to meet the needs of the emergency responder. Different levels of response require different levels of training.

The training programs provided by the NJSP HMRU address the requirements for individuals who will be responding to hazardous materials incidents. HMRU has provided a tiered training curriculum that coincides with those established under Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 29 CFR Part 1910.120 (including non-mandatory Appendix E), the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 471 standard, the revised NFPA 472 standard, and the U.S. Department of Transportation National Curriculum.

HMRU has also incorporated the National Firefighter standards developed under the National Fire Protection Association into it training programs. The New Jersey Right to Know training has also been added in order to reduce training repetition. All hazmat courses are updated to include modules on terrorism response.

The NJSP-HMRU Hazardous Materials Training Programs are a comprehensive set of training modules designed to allow the individual to achieve the level of training that would be appropriate for his or her response function. Those who participate or expect to participate, in emergency response to a hazardous material incident will be given training in accordance with the following courses.

• Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Series
• Confined Space Awareness & Rescue Series
• Chemical, Biological, Radiological Terrorism Series
• Hospital Emergency Response Series
• Specialty Emergency Response Series
• HMRU Training Applications

LEVEL 1 FIRST RESPONDER AWARENESS (4 hrs.) 06007
The basic 4 hour course will explain what hazardous materials incidents are, as well as giving the students skills to detect the presence of hazardous materials. The instruction includes an overview of how incidents are classified into levels and on introductions to the Incident Command System. Also covered are the roles and notification requirements of municipal, county, and state organizations. This level will serve as a prerequisite to all other levels offered in the series.
Prerequisite: NONE

LEVEL I FIRST RESPONDER AWARENESS REFRESHER 06037
A four-hour annual refresher course that meets the needs of public employees who respond to hazardous materials incidents at the Awareness level.
Prerequisite: HAZMAT AWARENESS

LEVEL 2 FIRST RESPONDER OPERATIONS (8-12 hrs.) 06009
The eight-hour course provides training for those personnel who have some protective equipment and other resources that would enable them to take further defensive actions at a Hazardous Materials scene. This course is a prerequisite for the HazMat Technician Course.
Prerequisite: HazMat Awareness, IMS 100, 200.

LEVEL 2 EMERGENCY MEDICAL OPERATIONS (16 hrs.) 06013
The eight-hour course provides EMS personnel with information on how to respond to a medical emergency at a hazardous materials incident. The course provides information on identification of hazardous materials, types of hazmat incidents, minimizing exposure, decontamination, and consequences of exposure, and case studies dealing with EMS response personnel at the operations level.
Prerequisite: HazMat Awareness, IMS 100, 200

LEVEL 3 HAZ-MAT TECHNICIAN (80 hrs.) 06011
An 80 hour course that provides HazMat Team members with the basic knowledge and skills to take appropriate offensive or defensive action that would require level A & B protection at an incident. Instruction will include classroom and hands on exercises.
This course is open to any emergency responder in NJ. Due to demand, the selection priority for attending is given to individuals who belong to HM Teams in NJ. All applicants must have completed the NJSP HMRU Awareness and Operations Courses in order to attend the Hazmat Technician Course. Home agency qualified in the use SCBA is necessary. Students must also not have any medical problems, which would preclude them from participating in hands on exercises.
Prerequisite: HazMat Awareness & Operations, IMS 100, 200
Applicants must have successfully completed the Hazmat Technician Course in order to attend the specialty courses (CBRNE Tech. Cargo Tank Truck and / or Rail Tank Car).
Applicants must submit a completed and signed HMRU Training Request and Department Authorization form for each course requested. You may contact the HMRU at (732) 721-4040 with any specific questions.

LEVEL 4 CARGO TANK TRUCK SPECIALITY (40 hrs.) 06063
A forty-hour course for those HazMat Team members who respond to releases or potential releases of hazardous materials from cargo tank trucks for the purpose of controlling the release. The goal of this program is to provide the responder with the knowledge and skills necessary to analyze an incident involving a cargo tank truck, to plan a response within the capabilities and competencies of available personnel and equipment, and to implement the planned response to mitigate the hazardous materials incident.
Prerequisite: HazMat Technician

HAZARDOUS MATERIALS RAIL TANK CAR SPECIALITY (40 hrs.) 06019
Conrail and the NJSP HRMU are now offering a Tank Car Safety Course. This program will include tank car damage assessment, transferring products, flaring and hot tapping, tank car problem session, and other topics dealing with rail response.
Prerequisite: HazMat Technician

LEVEL 5 ON SCENE INCIDENT COMMANDER (24 hrs.) 06015
A sixteen-hour course designed to train personnel who may assume control of a HazMat Incident beyond the First Responder Awareness Level. The program will include controlling site operations, identifying hazards, ensuring personal protective clothing and personal protective equipment be made available to or worn by responders, knowledge of hazards and risks associated with chemical protective clothing, and understanding the importance of decontamination.
Prerequisite: HazMat Awareness, Operations, IMS 100, 200, 300

Tech/Specialist Application Form

CONFINED SPACE AWARENESS (4 hrs.) 06047
The target audience for this four-hour introductory course includes personnel who perform regular work duties or work in the proximity of a confined space. Participants will be able to identify a confined space and recognize its potential hazards.
Prerequisite: NONE

CONFINED SPACE OPERATIONS (16 hrs.) 06022
A sixteen-hour course to make HazMat Team members and Emergency Responders aware of the special hazards of confined space entry and rescue. Participants will become familiar with PEOSHA and OSHA regulations, air monitoring techniques, case histories of confined space accidents and gain hands-on experience through confined space entries and simulated rescues with specialized rescue equipment. Prerequisite Fit tested for Respiratory Protection SAR, SCBA training and a working knowledge and capability with basic ropes & knots. A rope rescue course is helpful, but not required. Due the technical and equipment needs, this specific training program is to be delivered at pre-designated training facilities. Contact your County Training Academy and or HMRU.
Prerequisite: HazMat Awareness & Operations. Basic Ropes and Knots

CS OPS Application Form

For years, we have viewed terrorism as something that happens in other countries. If citizens of the United States were victims of terrorist attacks, they must have been overseas or on international flights or cruises in dangerous areas. The events at the World Trade Center in New York and Oklahoma City have shattered this view forever. The citizens and facilities that we are charged to protect can become the targets of international and domestic terrorists at any time.

Terrorist attacks with conventional weapons such as firearms, explosives or incendiary devices seems the most likely scenario but we must also plan for the possibility of nuclear, chemical and biological.

As an emergency responder in your community, you need to be aware of protocols to identify that a problem exists, isolate the problem, gather basic information, and report what you have found. Remember that if you are the “first on the scene” at an attack, your actions are critical in initiating a proper response.

Every county and municipality in New Jersey is required to have a viable plan for countering terrorism as part of the response roles outlined in its EOP. Hopefully, there will never be a need for that to go into effect but the realization that there is a working plan that will aid in saving the lives of those you serve.

LEVEL 1 FIRST RESPONDER CBRNE (WMD) (4 hrs.) 06085
This is a four hour course that will be presented as a classroom lecture. It is designed for first responders who operate at the awareness level. The lecture will familiarize students with the recognition of weapons of mass destruction, terrorism and the defensive actions they may use in a response to a terrorist incident. The course will review basic awareness level response principles.
Prerequisite: HazMat Awareness

LEVEL 2 FIRST RESPONDER CBRNE (WMD) OPERATIONAL (4 hrs. ) 06088
This is a four hour course that will be presented as a classroom lecture. It is designed for first responders who operate at the operational level. The lecture will familiarize students with the recognition of weapons of mass destruction, terrorism and the defensive actions they may use in a response to a terrorist incident. The course will review basic operational level response principles for Level 2 trained individuals.
Prerequisite: HazMat Operational.

LEVEL 3 FIRST RESPONDER CBRNE TECHNICIAN TRAINING (40 hrs.) 06089
This five-day course will be presented as a classroom lecture, field stations, tabletop and practical exercise. It is designed for hazardous materials technicians. The lecture will familiarize students with terrorism, weapons of mass destruction and actions that may be used in a response to a terrorist incident, at the advanced/technician level. The course will review basic technician level response principles and may serve as a refresher program for Level 3 trained individuals.
Prerequisite: Level 3 HazMat Technician.

CBRNE Tech Application Form

EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT OPERATIONS HAZMAT / WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION HOSPITAL PROVIDER COURSE (10 hrs.) 06061
This ten-hour didactic course will prepare physicians, physician assistants, advanced practice nurses, registered nurses, and emergency department staff to safely and effectively approach and treat patients that have been exposed to a Hazardous Material and/or have been involved in a Weapons of Mass Destruction (CBRNE) event. Preparation, decontamination, personal protective equipment, biological, chemical, and nuclear agents will be discussed along with their presentation and management.

HOSPITAL OPERATIONS COURSE (10 hrs.) 06077
This new ten-hour program provides proper education for Hospital Staff that might be tasked with the decontamination of patients who are contaminated with toxic industrial chemicals, biological agents, chemical agents, or radioactive materials. This course of instruction includes; Basic Hazard and Risk Assessment, Basic Chemistry and Toxicology, Health and Safety, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and Decontamination, as well as ample opportunities for hands-on training with PPE and victim decontamination.
This course meets the standards for Operations level training as outlined in 29 CFR Part 1910.120 (q).
For more information regarding this course contact: Office 732-721-4040
FAX (732) 721-4672

DECONTAMINATION COURSE (10 hrs.) 02025
This ten-hour operational level training course will prepare responders to effectively and safely perform decontamination operations.
Prerequisite: HAZ MAT AWARENESS, OPERATIONS, IMS 100, 200. Strongly advised to have attended CBRNE AWARENESS & OPERATIONS Courses

APR/PPE FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT COURSE (8 hrs.) 02033
This eight-hour course will prepare law enforcement responders to safely and effectively utilize air purifying respiratory (APR’s) and Personnel Protective Equipment (PPE) in a hostile environment.
Prerequisite: HAZ MAT AWARENESS, CBRNE AWARENESS OPERATIONS, IMS 100, 200. Strongly advised to have attended HAZMAT Operations & CBRNE Operations Courses.
For more information regarding this course contact: Office 732-721-4040 FAX (732) 721-4672 or Email NJHAZMAT@GW.NJSP.ORG

CLANDESTINE LABORATORY AWARENESS /OPERATIONS COURSE (8 hrs.) 02038
This eight-hour course will prepare all responders to recognize and identify a variety of potential clandestine laboratories. This includes narcotics, chemical agents, biological agents, radiological devices, and explosives. The course will provide first responders the capability to understand many of the hazards associated with a clan lab. In addition this course will provide HazMat Technicians with the ability perform a hazard assessment while awaiting a specialized/certified lab response and investigation team.
Prerequisite: HAZ MAT and CBRNE AWARENESS.

Most files on this page are PDF files (unless specified otherwise) and will require a free reader available from Adobe.

Through the development of HMRU’s training programs, HMRU conducts its own Train-the-Trainer (T-T-T) classes. These T-T-T classes, provides up-to-date information to the perspective emergency response community instructor with real world experience on the specific training topic. T-T-T classes are held on a as needed basis, but at least twice in each year in different locations within NJ. This is an on-going program and process in which HMRU seeks input from and through it’s partners to ensure that the programs remain on topic and relevant to the subject matter.

The NJSP HMRU has adopted stricter requirements to be a trainer than those requirements found in OSHA 29 CFR 1910.120 (q) (7). All the instructors used in presenting its training programs must be certified through the NJSP HMRU. By using only NJSP HMRU certified instructors, it is assured that the program will be presented in a professional and informative manner. Individuals interested in becoming a trainer for these programs may fax their request to NJSP HMRU at (732) 721-4672 or to NJHAZMAT@gw.njsp.org

Instructor Application Packet - (PDF - 859kb)

This area is dedicated for all active instructors providing instruction in NJSP HMRU training programs. This area contains course forms, instructor information, and other downloadable files for use in class presentations.
Please refer to our HRMU Forms page for a listing of all available forms.

Administration
This section will be utilized for general posting relating to general administration issues.

Announcements
This section will be utilized for specific announcements relating to HMRU issues and or emerging issues affecting response and training (i.e. Schedules, course posting etc.)

Training Announcement - CARGO TANK Vehicle Specialty Course (PDF)

2013 Schedule (PDF)

The Hazardous Materials Response Unit from time to time receives funding through specific grant programs. These grants are primarily designed to serve as pass-through grants to local response agencies and LEPC’s. Application forms and instructions will be posted to this location. Click on link to view the applicable forms and instructions.

• Hazardous Materials Emergency Planning Grant program (HMEP)
• NON UASI Decontamination Training Grant

New Jersey

• State Emergency Response Commission (NJOEM)
• Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP)
• New Jersey Right-to-Know program

• US EPA
• The Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response
• Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention Office (CEPPO)
• DOT's Office of Hazardous Materials Safety
• National Response Center Home Page
• National Response Team Home Page
• United States Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB)

• Right-to-Know (RTK) Net
• LEPC/SERC Net
• University of Akron : Hazardous Chemical Database
• ATSDR Homepage
• CAMEO (TM) - Computer Aided Management of Emergency Operations web site
• County OEM Coordinators NJ