The Western Wayne County Hazardous Materials Response Team (HMRT) was formed in 1987 by the Western Wayne Fire Department Mutual Aid Association (WWFDMAA) through the cooperation of 23 communities. The team currently has 45 members that come from Mutual Aid Association Fire Departments that are located within the Detroit metropolitan area. The Western Wayne County HMRT, or “Haz-Mat” Team, has a response area that encompasses parts of three counties, thousand of square miles, and protecting more than 2.9 millions residents. The Canton Fire Department currently assigns three personnel to the HMRT.
HMRT members are able to respond to incidents as a unit or can provide expert consultation to their individual departments. The main benefit of this team is that it offers fire departments a cost-effective way to provide haz-mat services when needed.