North Carolina - Over the next year, 30 Gastonia firefighters will be trained as weapons of mass destruction specialists. The firefighters, who compose the department's hazardous materials team, will attend training programs in Gastonia and all over the country. Two programs - an emergency response to terrorism course and a drug lab course - will be taught at the Gastonia Fire Department in the summer, said Capt. Bill Thompson, coordinator of the hazardous materials team.

The firefighters will also complete a course on biological agents in Alabama, a course on radiation detection in Nevada, and a course on explosives in New Mexico. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security pays for firefighters to attend these weeklong programs.

Thompson said these training courses could be mandatory soon as the state looks at changing the requirements for hazardous materials responders.

"We want to get our team through (the training) before the state decides to make this part of the standard," Thompson said. "We wanted to be proactive."

In Brief

The Cherryville Fire Department recently received a $38,693 grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The funds come from the Assistance to Firefighter Grant Program.

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