Local hazmat team assists in white powder incident
On Thursday, April 2, at approximately 12:30 p.m., the Fort Myers Fire Department Hazmat Team was dispatched by state officials to Sebring, Fla., in regards to a white powder incident.
The hazmat team is the responding team for Lee County and serves as the primary hazmat team for Region 6 of the Regional Domestic Security Task Force. The team was formed in 1992 and covers nine counties, including Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Glades and Hendry. The entire team is made up of 26 technicians and 10 apprentices.
Nine members of our hazmat team were dispatched and arrived in Sebring at approximately 3 p.m. The team was made up of three entry members, three members serving as back-up, a decontamination officer and incident commander and a safety officer.
The team uses a device called the Smith Detection Hazmat ID to collect samples and determine the substance in question.
The incident is under investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and local law enforcement in Highlands County.
Station 4 is located at 4520 Cummins Court.