October 1 , 2004

Wanted: More good men and women

The Hazmat Response Team will begin phase two of its recruitment drive at an information session Oct. 8, from 11 am to noon in the Wellman Conference Room. The presentation will cover the training and other requirements for becoming a Hazmat Response team member. In addition, Human Resources representatives will be on hand to provide information about attending training and drills.

As in all of MGH's emergency response training programs, the safety of participants is a priority. Volunteers who qualify for the team will receive 32 hours of initial training, will participate in regular practice drills, and maintain annual qualifications to ensure their safety and preparedness to respond to an incident.

The team was created last spring to protect employees and the hospital from contamination and to provide decontamination assistance for a large number of victims of a mass casualty incident or a major industrial accident in the community. Sixty staff members from research, administration and clinical areas at the hospital have already become team members and participated in training and drills. The clinical and non-clinical team members ensure that patients arriving at the hospital are decontaminated prior to being treated inside the hospital.

Two additional recruitment sessions will be held Nov. 18, from 10 to 11 am, and Dec. 16, from 9:30 to 10:30 am, both in the Wellman Conference Room. For more information, call Glen McKenney at (617) 726-0667.