What is Florida’s Environmental Response Team?
The Environmental Response Team (ERT) was formed in 2001 to support Florida’s domestic security
efforts immediately following the terrorist attacks on the United States. The team includes criminal
investigators, emergency responders, uniformed law enforcement officers and other representatives
from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and other state agencies as well
as the United States Environmental Protection Agency. With specialized equipment and highly trained
members, the ERT can be mobilized within hours to respond to environmental emergencies anywhere in
the state.
What is the purpose of the Environmental Response Team?
The ERT was established to augment local and regional response capabilities for incidents suspected to
involve criminal activity including potential terrorist acts. The team is trained to respond to and
investigate incidents involving industrial chemical or hazardous materials. The ERT can deploy to an
area of operations to:
Assess a suspected industrial chemical or hazardous material event
in support of a local Incident Commander,
Advise civilian responders regarding
appropriate response actions, and
Investigate potential criminal activities,
including acts of terrorism.
Who are Incident Commanders?
Incident Commanders are local personnel within the first responder community. They are the overall supervisor
of that specific scene and direct all operational missions to be accomplished by specialty teams like the ERT.
Which agencies provide staff and support to the Environmental Response Team?
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
Florida Department of Health
Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services
Florida Department of Transportation
Florida Department of Financial Services
Florida Department of Law Enforcement
Florida Highway Patrol
Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
How is the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Law Enforcement involved with the Environmental Response Team?
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Law Enforcement’s environmental
investigations special agents, park police officers, and emergency response personnel are members
of the Environmental Response Team. Trained in environmental emergency response, the Department of
Environmental Protection’s Division of Law Enforcement staff contributes unique capabilities to this
multi-agency team and is on call 24/7 to respond to a chemical or biological incident.
How does the ERT support first responders in an environmental emergency?
Though the ERT does not replace the critical role of first responders and the Incident Commander, the ERT
augments local and regional resources with specialized capabilities. On-scene, the ERT provides tactical
support to the Incident Commander and integrates into the Incident Command System (ICS) as a special team
under the Operations Section.
The ERT provides rapid analysis of chemical hazards. The team has sampling and air monitoring equipment
and is trained specifically for Level A entries that involve criminal investigative activities. The team
can also provide advice on event mitigation, medical treatment, follow-up resources and other response
concerns to the Incident Commander. The team also has access to state laboratories for chemical analysis of
unknown agents.
What is Level A Entry?
Level A entry requires the highest form of personal protection equipment (PPE). The responder and self contained
breathing apparatus (SCBA) are fully enclosed within a protective suit. He or she is not exposed to the
environmental hazards in the area in which they must work.
What is an Exclusion Zone?
Also known as the “Hot Zone,” the exclusion zone is a designated area where no one but those attired in
appropriate personal protection equipment (PPE) is allowed. The Incident Commander identifies the exclusion
zone and sets the level of protection based on the threat.
How does the ERT operate on scene?
Upon arrival at the scene of an incident, the ERT Leader receives support objectives from the Incident
Commander. Using specialized equipment and wearing protective gear, the ERT can verify the perimeter of
the exclusion zone and send entry teams into the contaminated area or “hot zone” to conduct reconnaissance,
survey, detection, investigation, and sampling missions. While deployed on a mission, any member of the ERT
team can communicate back to the command post, team leader and other experts, such as the 44th Civil Support
Team and Federal On-Scene Coordinators from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Coast Guard.
What equipment does the ERT use?
The ERT maintains a wide range of low- and high-tech devices allowing for hazard identification, air monitoring
and field analysis. Equipment includes:
Personal Protective Equipment
- Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (1-hour air supply)
- Level A Suit (totally encapsulated), Level B Suit, Level C Gear
- Field Decontamination Capability
Reconnaissance, Detection, Sampling Gear
- Digital still and video cameras
- Portable gas chromatographs and infrared spectrometers
- Photo-Ionization Detectors (PID) for combustible and volatile gases
- Sampling Kits for downrange collection of a wide range of liquids and solids
- Colorimetric Tubes – detection of volatile organic compounds
- Hazard Categorization Kits for field analysis of collected samples
Computer Modeling and Response Database Systems
- Access to GIS data from the Florida Marine Spill Analysis System maintained by the
Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission’s Wildlife Research Institute
Communications Capability
- Cellular Telephones
- DEP Mobile Command unit has 15 kW power supply and a variety of communications equipment
- Various law enforcement radios
Laboratory Capability
- The ERT maintains close cooperation with the departments of Environmental Protection, Health and
Agriculture & Consumer Services laboratory systems and can rapidly obtain lab analysis of collected
samples for the full suite of hazards.
What special skills does the ERT offer?
The ERT combines the skills of all participating state and federal agencies and can quickly link to others
via an established communications network. Team members from DEP and the other partner agencies bring a wide
range of career experience and expertise. Individuals are trained to the HazMat Technician response level or
above and the team train collectively on Weapons of Mass Destruction and hazardous materials scenarios.
Regular coordination is conducted with state emergency management, fire academies, law enforcement, and health
departments—all partners in planning for incident response.
How is the ERT notified and activated?
The ERT may be notified and activated via several routes. Incidents involving hazardous materials or industrial
chemicals reported to the State Warning Point (#DEP or (850) 413-9911 or (877)
272-8335) are relayed to DEP Emergency
Response personnel trained to support local operations. Incidents involving a criminal act are reported to
environmental investigators within DEP. Briefings up the chain of command enable a prompt decision to activate ERT.
Local responders may request ERT assistance by following established emergency mutual aid notification, through
counties, to the Florida Division of Emergency Management. At first notification of a significant environmental
incident, the team will assemble for rapid deployment. The team is on-call 24 hours, 7 days a week. ERT members
are located throughout the state. At least one member can be on scene within three hours of notification.
Whom do I contact for more information about the ERT?
Lieutenant Tim Gorman
Bureau of Environmental Investigations
DEP Division of Law Enforcement
(239) 229-2612
Timothy.Gorman@dep.state.fl.us
Doug White
Emergency Response Manager
Bureau of Emergency Response
DEP Division of Law Enforcement
(850) 245-2873
Doug.White@dep.state.fl.us
