COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio has awarded $800,000 in hazardous materials training grants to 43 local governments, fire departments, emergency management agencies and educational institutions across the state, including a $400,000 award to Cleveland State University that accounted for half of the funding distributed this year.

The grants are intended to help train emergency responders to safely and effectively respond to incidents involving hazardous materials. The annual program provides funding to local governments and educational institutions for hazardous materials response training and planning activities.

“By investing in hazardous materials training, these grants will help ensure thousands of emergency responders across Ohio are prepared to respond quickly, safely and effectively when incidents occur,” PUCO Chair Jenifer French said in a statement.

CSU received the largest grant by far, receiving $400,000. Cincinnati State Technical and Community College and the University of Findlay each received $40,000, tying for the second-largest awards.

Other Northeast Ohio recipients included, the Cleveland Department of Public Utilities, Chagrin/Southeast Council of Governments, Chester Township Fire Rescue, Cuyahoga Falls Fire Department, Lakewood Fire Department, Macedonia Fire Department, Olmsted Township Fire Department, Salem Fire Department, Sterling Fire District, Tallmadge Fire Department, Twinsburg Fire Department and Wooster Division of Fire.

The grants are funded through PUCO’s hazardous materials training program, which supports training for emergency responders who may be called upon to handle transportation-related hazardous materials incidents.

©2026 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit cleveland.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.