Aberdeen might not be the prime target for a chemical or biological attack by terrorists.
But the Hub City's fire department is training to operate more than a half-million-dollar's worth of new hazardous-materials equipment donated through grants by the federal government to protect the country against weapons of mass destruction.
This program started four years ago, before 9/11. But Aberdeen fire officials said the department did not start getting funding for the new equipment - which includes various devices to protect against and detect hazardous materials - until after the attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C.
Before 9/11, they say the government reserved the funding for America's larger cities.
In 2001, the Aberdeen Fire Department's federal grant was $80,000. Counting the $305,000 received in 2003, the fire department has gotten $600,000 in HAZMAT grants so far. And more money's expected.
Three years ago, the state approached South Dakota's fire chiefs to ask if they wanted the HAZMAT training and equipment. The state then came up with a "three team" system, including HAZMAT crews in Sioux Falls, Aberdeen and Rapid City.
The Aberdeen team is part of the city's fire department but is responsible for the northeast portion of the state.
Although Aberdeen might not be a prime terrorist target, there are other HAZMAT threats here.
The Hub City's train traffic and status as a junction of two U.S. highways makes having a HAZMAT team important.
Kevin VanMeter, shift commander with the Aberdeen Fire Department, said, "If a train or truck crashes, it could spill hazardous material."
Although HAZMAT incidents are few and far between, Aberdeen fire officials expect to use the equipment and training to detect and contain hazardous material situations in the future.
Other communities have found that HAZMAT teams come in handy.
In January 2002, a train crash near Minot, N.D., caused the release of anhydrous ammonia into the atmosphere. The cleanup was made more difficult because of the lack of emergency training to deal with such disasters.
The Aberdeen Fire Department hopes that if a similar disaster ever hits this area, its HAZMAT team would be able to handle the situation.
Individuals responsible for HAZMAT incidents are liable for paying for the response.
That would include the HAZMAT tents, priced at $30,000 each, used for such incidents.
These tents are probably more similar to homes with full amenities than what is used for camping. They have two showers each, with an additional third one specifically for decontamination, a hot water heater, a holding area to trap contamination and soap dispensers. Two of these tents can be tied together to create a larger area. They are useful in an area like South Dakota with extreme temperatures, and can protect rescue workers against the elements and hazardous materials.
HAZMAT team members also have monitoring equipment to detect whether they are entering a contaminated area. This, they say, can tell them where they should or should not evacuate people. Also, says Aberdeen Fire Lt. Sean Johnson, "We can detect what agents are in the air."
VanMeter also points out that even though Aberdeen would not be a likely target for a terrorist attack, it might be tempting as a "soft target."
In the meantime, Aberdeen's HAZMAT team continues to get new equipment almost weekly via its federal grants.
