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Syracuse Fire Department Hazardous Materials Team Assists Minetto FD

Published on March 03, 2023

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – On March 2, 2023, at 5:08 p.m., the Syracuse Fire Department Hazardous Materials Team was requested to assist with an investigation in the Town of Minetto, NY in Oswego County. Earlier in the day, several students and a teacher at Minetto Elementary School had reported having developed a rash on their skin, and there was concern that the cause could be related to an unknown contaminant. The Minetto Fire Department and the Oswego County HazMat team were on the scene and were conducting an investigation to identify any hazards that might have caused the symptoms. They were able to monitor air quality and take samples but were unable to identify any hazards.

The Syracuse Fire Department HazMat team arrived and assisted with the investigation. Several pieces of detection equipment were used, including a new meter that can identify up to 50 unknown chemicals in a single sample. After analyzing several samples taken, they were also unable to identify any potential cause for the rashes.

The Syracuse Fire Department Hazardous Materials Team functions as the team for Hazardous Materials responses in all of Onondaga County. They are also a member of the Central Region Hazmat Emergency Response Team. The Central Region is comprised of Onondaga, Oswego, and Madison County. Syracuse Fire Hazmat has the potential to respond anywhere in our region we may be needed. The incident in Minetto illustrates the preparedness of our team and highlights the ability of the members of the Central Region to work together to ensure the safe conclusion of an incident.

In total, 9 members of the Syracuse Fire HazMat team responded from Fire Station 5 on S. Geddes St. Other agencies on the scene included the Oswego City Fire Department, the Oswego County Sherriff’s Office, Menter Ambulance, the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control, as well as the Oswego County Emergency Management Office. This was the second full activation of the Syracuse Fire HazMat team in as many days.