LIVERMORE FALLS – Firefighters from four counties completed hazardous material operations level training recently, hosted by the Livermore Fire Department and conducted by Maine Fire Training and Education with funding approved by local and state emergency response agencies.

The intensive 24-hour training was composed of four evening classes and one eight-hour session on a Saturday.

Participants included firefighters from Hebron, Farmington, Belgrade and Livermore.

Several of the participants have just completed Firefighter 1 training and graduation was held at the Livermore Falls High School cafeteria.

Hazmat Operations Level training prepares the first responder to initiate containment and perform decontamination of persons exposed to hazardous materials, including the first responders involved in minimizing the damage to life, property and environment.

The training has become a necessity to firefighters in their role as first responders to transportation accidents, chemicals and flammable materials stored in local businesses and residences and responding to potential terrorist incidents.

Firefighters learned techniques to control and contain spills as well increasing their knowledge to identify hazards and their properties, capabilities of personal protective equipment, donning and doffing the equipment and practices to prevent spread of the hazard and further contamination.

The lead instructor was Gerry Provencher, a Westbrook firefighter whose parents live in New Sharon.