Hazardous Materials

Station 11 is the Hazardous Materials station for Littleton Fire Rescue. Station 11 in downtown Littleton houses two hazmat response units. Hammer 11 is a custom SuperVac response unit which contains full hazmat equipment, decon equipment, breathing apparatus, and a small command office. The command office in Hammer 11 includes computer and fax capability, a fume hood for unknown chemical testing, and a large reference library. The unit also includes a diesel generator, awnings and a misting fan for rehab, and a light tower. Hammer 11 tows a large HazMat response trailer that contains adsorbants, recovery drums, encapsulated level “A” suits and a pneumatically driven fluid pump and hoses.

Hammer 11 operates as a satellite unit within the Arapahoe and Douglas County’s Hazardous Materials Response Team. When necessary, units from several agencies combine resources to provide a shared response capability. This response agreement provides a maximum response capability with a minimum cost to the taxpayer.

In the year 2000, Littleton Fire Rescue units responded on 379 hazardous materials related incidents. Of these,

• 80 were flammable liquid, gasoline, or oil spills
• 188 were natural gas/LPG leaks
• 24 were chemical spills, hazards or toxic conditions.
• 87 Carbon monoxide detector activations or Carbon Monoxide incidents

LFD’s Hazardous materials unit, Hammer 11 responded on 26 of these to provide additional equipment, monitoring capability or technical expertise. In addition, Hammer 11 and team members participated in TopOff 2000, a federal exercise testing Colorado’s capabilities to respond to a terrorist incident. The exercise was conducted in three US cities simultaneously. LFD’s Hammer 11 participated by providing decon at a simulated terrorist event.

All Littleton Firefighters are certified to the Operations level certification. The majority of the team’s members are certified to the NFPA 472 and State of Colorado Hazardous Materials Technician certification levels.