📏 Standards, certification and typing ↓
CBRNE & Hazmat Search & Rescue Regional Map
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Resources by state
CBRNE & Hazmat Search & Rescue
Requesting hazardous-materials support
Coordinate through the responsible emergency services
For an emergency, call 911 or the responsible dispatch center. Report the location, observed conditions and people at risk from a safe location. Incident command coordinates rescue, hazardous-materials, medical and law-enforcement resources as needed.
- Share what is knownProvide observations and existing site information without approaching an unknown material or device.
- Confirm the resourceDispatch and incident command confirm the team, capabilities, authorized mission and support needs.
- Coordinate the sceneQualified responders establish the hazard assessment, work zones, protective measures, medical support and decontamination arrangements.
Capabilities to confirm
Rescue, detection and decontamination are distinct assignments
Hazard assessment
Confirm the team's training and detection equipment for the suspected hazard. No single instrument identifies every chemical, biological or radiological threat.
Technical rescue
Confirm the required rescue discipline and compatible protective equipment. A hazardous-materials team designation alone does not establish all technical rescue capabilities.
Decontamination and medical support
Confirm the method, staffing, patient handling and receiving arrangements for the actual incident. Throughput depends on the system and conditions.
Coordination and worker safety
ESF-10 and applicable HAZWOPER requirements
EPA and the U.S. Coast Guard are the primary agencies for ESF-10 federal oil and hazardous-materials response. Federal support complements the incident's jurisdictional response; a program reference is not a direct deployment request.
OSHA 29 CFR 1910.120 addresses hazardous-waste operations and emergency response within its scope. Required plans, training, monitoring and protection depend on the operation and applicable rules. ICS 204 is an assignment list and ICS 208 is a safety message/plan; a directory CSV does not complete either form or establish regulatory compliance.
Protective equipment and detection
Selection follows the hazard assessment
OSHA's Appendix B describes protection levels A–D. Level A provides the highest skin, eye and respiratory protection; Level B uses high respiratory protection with less skin protection. The distinction is not simply whether the breathing apparatus is inside or outside the suit.
The responsible specialists select the full protective ensemble, respiratory protection and monitoring for the substances and conditions. Equipment ratings, compatibility and instrument limitations must be checked for the assignment.
Official coordination and safety references
Read the scope of each source
National Response Center — 1-800-424-8802
Report oil spills and hazardous-substance releases 24 hours a day. The federal point of contact for reporting releases; it does not replace calling 911.
Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG 2024)
PHMSA's guide for the first 30 minutes of a transportation hazmat incident: identifying the material, isolation distances and initial protective actions.
EPA and the National Response Framework
EPA/USCG roles in federal ESF-10 coordination.
OSHA HAZWOPER — 1910.120
The actual standard for hazardous-waste operations and emergency response, with its scope and requirements.
OSHA protection levels — Appendix B
Descriptions and discussion of protective equipment levels.
Directory coverage
No operational CBRNE or hazardous-materials team roster or dispatch availability has been confirmed for this national page. Use the state pages for jurisdictional contacts and clearly labeled references; request resources through the responsible agency.
Law Enforcement CBRNE & Bomb Units
Bomb squads, WMD coordinators and Guard civil support teams respond when a search or rescue scene involves explosives, chemical, biological or radiological hazards. Suspected deliberate threats or suspicious devices also require coordination with law enforcement.
When to request a law enforcement unit
- Suspicious devices, unexploded ordnance or bomb threats in a search area.
- Clandestine labs or chemical hazards found during a search.
- Radiological or biological material is suspected.
- Searches following an intentional attack or explosion.
Coordination tips
- Do not touch or move suspicious items. Withdraw and contact dispatch from a safe location; follow the responding bomb squad’s communications and isolation guidance.
- Request the nearest accredited bomb squad through dispatch.
- The FBI WMD Coordinator in your field office can help connect federal resources.
National law enforcement resources
- FBI — Weapons of Mass Destruction ↗The FBI is the lead federal agency for WMD threats and coordinates with local responders.
- FBI Hazardous Devices School ↗A 2016 FBI article describes the Hazardous Devices School’s public-safety bomb-technician training role.
- National Guard WMD Civil Support Teams ↗National Guard WMD Civil Support Teams are full-time Guard units that help civil authorities identify CBRN agents, assess consequences and advise on response. They are requested through the state emergency management agency. (Linked article is historical background.)
For jurisdiction, incident command and evidence guidance, see the Sheriff & Law Enforcement SAR hub. Always follow your own agency's policies and local protocols.
📏 Standards, certification and typing
OSHA HAZWOPER sets federal responder training levels; NFPA 470 sets hazmat competencies; FEMA types hazmat teams and positions.
National standards
NFPA 470Active (most recent edition found)
Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Standard for Responders. It combines the former NFPA 472, 473 and 1072, and is used for hazmat awareness, operations, technician and EMS competencies.
No newer (2025/2026) edition was confirmed.
Official source ↗FEMA resource typing (NIMS)
Hazardous Materials Response TeamPublished
National team type for detecting, identifying and mitigating hazmat and WMD releases. Type 1 covers all hazards including WMD; Type 3 is limited to known chemicals.
Official source ↗Hazmat/CBRN positionsPublished
National position qualifications for hazmat, chemical and radiological responders.
Official source ↗Animal biosecurity/decon teamsPublished
Typed animal-response teams for decontaminating animals and for disease-control depopulation (biosecurity incidents).
Official source ↗Certification and training
National Guard WMD Civil Support TeamsActive
Full-time Guard units that identify chemical, biological, radiological or explosive threats and support local incident commanders. Members hold hazmat operations and technician certifications.
Official source ↗Federal law and rules
OSHA HAZWOPERIn force
Federal worker-safety rule for hazmat emergency response. Paragraph (q)(6) sets responder training levels: first responder awareness, first responder operations (8 hrs minimum), hazmat technician (24 hrs) and hazmat specialist (24 hrs), plus incident commander.
Official source ↗Key official references
Hazmat PPE standard (NFPA 1990)Current; FEMA hazmat typing still cites the older numbers
Standard for vapor-protective, liquid splash-protective and CBRN protective ensembles used to equip hazmat teams.
Official source ↗