Environmental Health (EH) has five hazardous materials specialists, with one on-call 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year as well and are dispatched through the 911 system. The EH on-call specialists provide technical support to local fire departments and other first responders and services range from providing telephone advice for small spills to on-scene environmental and public health recommendations for larger incidents.
EH is an active participant providing technical support and funding for the Santa Cruz Hazardous Materials Interagency Team (SCHMIT). The SCHMIT provides a coordinated response to incidents involving hazardous materials involving the four cities, the county, UC Santa Cruz and California State Parks.
The response vehicle is based at Scotts Valley Fire Department with about 30 members from various fire departments throughout the county as part of the trained team of specialized professionals. These hazardous materials technicians and specialists rotate shift coverage 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, and 365 days per year.