Included in this year's technical events are a biological incident response scenario and a chemical identification exercise. Other hazmat response scenarios in this year's competition include complex valve leak, confined space procedure, compressed liquefied gas leak, overturned gasoline tanker and railcar procedure, and damming and diking a hazardous material "gusher." The events close with some fun contests, including a pie-eating competition and the ever-popular obstacle course—where teams wearing full hazmat protective gear race the clock and each other through a creative and fun-filled course.
New Mexico teams expected to participate include Los Alamos National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, Intel, New Mexico State Police, NASA White Sands Test Facility, and the fire department hazmat teams from Santa Fe, Hobbs, Farmington and Gallup. As many as 16 teams are expected, including groups from Oklahoma, sponsored by the University of Oklahoma Southwest Center for Public Heath Preparedness. Personnel from the Federal Emergency Management Agency—Region Six, and the U.S. Department of Transportation are expected to assist in conducting the competition.
The technical events will take place at the Technical Area 49 Hazmat Training Facility, on Wednesday and Thursday, Aug. 20-21 and for the first time events will run concurrently, with eight events taking place simultaneously. "It should be quite a spectacle," said Los Alamos' Hazmat Team Leader Fred Bolton. "Those two days will be action-packed." The obstacle course competition will take place on Friday, Aug. 22 and will be followed by the awards ceremony.
The Intel Fab 11X team was last year's overall winner.
Members of the media are welcome to cover the events. For more information contact Kevin Roark at 505-665-9202.
Los Alamos National Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security, is operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC, a team composed of Bechtel National, the University of California, The Babcock & Wilcox Company, and Washington Group International for the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.
Los Alamos enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health, and global security concerns.