Free hazmat training course aims to prepare community for emergencies

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – A free training wants to help you prepare for a hazardous materials incident in your community.

Major events like the blast at the Givaudan Plant in Louisville’s Clifton neighborhood and the case of a man hoarding dangerous chemicals and explosives in his Highview home alarmed neighbors living nearby as they feared for their safety.

"We saw the coverage and we saw the reaction and we said we have to talk about this,” Corinne Greenberg, with the Louisville-Jefferson Local Emergency Planning Committee, said.

It’s that fear that led emergency management professionals to create a Chemical Hazard Communication course for the community. The free training course can help you stay prepared and protect your family. You'll learn what you need to know and what you need to do in an hazmat emergency.

"My major goal with this training would be to help community members understand more so they could fear less,” said Greenberg. “Now some of the hazardous chemicals are very serious, but with more understanding, knowledge is power and we want everybody to have that confidence to discuss without being afraid to discuss it."

The three-part course will be offered several times over the next three months:

Friday mornings in July at the Edison Center in Old Louisville | July 11, 18 and 25 from 11 a.m. to noon.
Monday evenings in August at the Edison Center in Old Louisville | Aug. 11, 18 and 25 from 6-7 p.m.

These sessions will be live-taught in person in the first floor meeting room at the Edison Center, 701 West Ormsby Ave.

Virtual options are available over one week on Sept. 22, 24 and 26 from noon to 1 p.m. These three sessions will be live-taught online.

It’s strongly encouraged to attend all three sessions of the course. Trainers said skipping any one session will make understanding of latter sessions very challenging.

Click here to register for the course.

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