Founded in 1982, the Cumberland County Special Hazards Operations Team (SHOT, aka "Team 200") is the primary hazardous materials (hazmat) response team in the county. Operating under the county's Department of Public Safety (DPS), this volunteer team responds to hazmat incidents throughout both Cumberland as well as several adjacent counties.
Over these nearly 30 years, the team has operated using several pieces of apparatus including the recently retired HazMat 201, a 1990 Emergency One Hush. Purchased in 2004 from the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department in Virginia, this 31-year old truck was infamous for its response at the Pentagon following the terrorist attacks of 9/11/2001. This truck featured a rear-engine design with an onboard cabin for team members to work out of on the way to or during a response.
After 17 years of service and hundreds of calls, this truck served the county dutifully and was recently replaced by a new custom-built, front-engine design built to serve the unique needs of the county. This new unit, designed and manufactured by Swab Wagon Company, was built to provide enhanced operational capabilities with reduced downtime. Further, it provides better storage for equipment, improves accessibility, and creates a space for incident command, coordination, and collaboration. Having recently taken delivery, it officially entered served on November 17, formally adopting the team's nomenclature as the new HazMat 201.
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