The fire training division of Riverland Training and Development (RTD) recently received a grant for more than $25,500 from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management to help train area fire departments. The Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness Grant may be used to underwrite training for the fire departments Riverland serves. 

Riverland’s fire training division provides service for law enforcement, EMS providers and firefighters in an 11-county area in southeast Minnesota including Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Rice, Steele, Wabasha, Winona.

They provide basic level hazardous material (hazmat) awareness and refresher courses, as well as a more advanced hazmat operations level course to create a higher level of hazmat knowledge and response. The highest level of training provided is the hazardous materials technician program.

According to Brian Staska, RTD’s public safety representative, this grant has been instrumental in purchasing hazmat training suits and other equipment, plus two trailers to transport the equipment for training.

Riverland Training and Development (RTD) is a resource for business and industry. Their services include professional development and advanced skill-set training for employees along with organization productivity for companies. Annually, RTD works with more than 400 companies and organizations across the region and serving nearly 5,000 employees.