Specialty Teams
Fire Investigation | Hazardous Materials Response | Technical Rescue Specialist : TRS | Water Rescue & Recovery : Dive
Fire Investigation Team
Investigation to determine the origin and cause of fires is one of the tasks performed by the Arlington Heights Fire Department. The Fire Investigation Team responds to all working structure fires or whenever an investigator's presence at an incident is requested by a Battalion Commander or company officer.
Hazardous Materials Response Team
Responding to chemical emergencies is another responsibility of the Arlington Heights Fire Department. The number of hazardous materials emergencies throughout the country increases each year. The Hazardous Materials Response Team was formed to protect the community from these incidents. The Arlington Heights Fire Department Hazardous Materials Response Team is also a member of a larger group of area hazmat teams, the "Combined Chemical Emergency Response Team." This larger team is assembled when a community is faced with a large or extremely dangerous chemical emergency. The team is comprised of hazmat teams from the Arlington Heights, Des Plaines, Elk Grove Village and Mount Prospect Fire Departments. The participating departments pool their resources and talent to help the stricken community manage a hazardous materials emergency. These teams train together as a single response group numerous times during the year.
Technical Rescue Specialist : TRS Team
Responding to emergencies where people are trapped or injured under special circumstances is a job for the Technical Rescue Team of the Arlington Heights Fire Department. The team may respond to a trench collapse where sewers are being installed, a high-rise building for a vertical rescue of a window washer, or even to a confined space where utility work is being performed. TRS team members are trained to respond and quickly begin assisting the trapped or injured victim. The team has specialized equipment for each type of rescue.
Water Rescue & Recovery : Dive Team
The Arlington Heights Fire Department Water Rescue and Recovery Team was created for the purpose of providing trained personnel to accomplish various tasks at water-related incidents. Our Dive Team members have attained various levels of certification, including open water diving, ice diving, deep-water diving, evidence recovery, swift water rescue, advanced open water diving, and dive-master operations. These divers are also responsible for the on-going water rescue training for shift personnel and Arlington Heights Park District lifeguards.