| Shawna Morrison

shawna.morrison@roanoke.com, 381-1665

For more than 20 years, the team that responds to hazardous materials incidents across the New River Valley has been based in Giles County.

That changed this month when a decision by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management moved the team's home base from Giles to Radford.

"Basically it's geographics more than anything," Radford Fire Chief Lee Simpkins said.

The new location puts the team and its equipment closer to Interstates 81 and 77, industrial parks along the interstates, many sets of railroad tracks and Radford University, he said.

"Moving the region's headquarters from Giles County to Radford will decrease response time for emergencies in the area, and it will cut travel time to southern areas of the state," said Michael Cline, state coordinator for the Virginia Department of Emergency Management. "Also, the higher population surrounding the new headquarters will make it easier to recruit new team members."

Radford already had a local hazmat team that included 15 technicians. They combined with Giles County's team to create the New River Valley Regional Hazardous Materials Response Team.

One of 13 state-contracted teams, the NRV team covers Bland, Carroll, Floyd, Giles, Montgomery, Pulaski, Tazewell and Wythe counties and the cities of Radford and Galax.

"It puts it in a very regional location," Radford City Manager David Ridpath said. "I think it will be an asset for both Radford and the New River Valley."

The Virginia Department of Emergency Management agreed to provide training for members, who will keep and maintain the needed equipment.

The team responds to "anything to do with a hazardous spill or leak or any type of chemicals," Simpkins said.

It handles assessment and control of each situation until it is turned over to a private contractor.

Simpkins said the team can have up to 40 members and includes not only those from Giles and Radford, but also from fire departments in Blacksburg, Riner and Pulaski County and at the Radford Army Ammunition Plant.

"We look forward to working with everybody in all the localities," Simpkins said. "We're excited about it, and I think it's going to be good for everybody."

"Maintaining hazmat equipment is no small task, and the Giles team members set a high standard that we're sure the New River Valley team will continue," said Wade Collins, deputy director for VDEM's technological hazards division and manager for Virginia's hazmat teams.

Billy McCroskey, hazmat coordinator for Giles County, said Giles has been the home of the regional team since 1987.

He also said the move was made only to have the team based in a more centralized location, adding that Giles never received any complaints about its work.

Giles County will maintain its own hazmat team while serving on the regional team, McCroskey said.

In fact, he said, it will have essentially the same equipment that will be housed in Radford, so the move will not affect Giles County.

"We'll still be able to protect our county and our businesses," he said.

He said he thinks relocating the regional team "is a wise move because if something happens on (Interstate) 81, for example, Radford can be there in 10 minutes, and we could be there in 30."

"It was a good move for the community," McCroskey said, "and that's who we're here to serve, the community."