A contract between Washington County and the City of Muscatine Fire Department for hazardous materials events is being reviewed. Larry Smith, Washington and Keokuk County Emergency Management Coordinator, presented the current contract, which he states hasn’t been updated in 15 years, to the Washington County Board of Supervisors yesterday. Smith stated that some wording regarding who has the authority to request HazMat assistance needs to be addressed, and presented an example in Keokuk County in which a fire chief called for HazMat assistance for a manure spill, which is not considered a hazardous material. The bill can ultimately come back to the county.

County Attorney Larry Brock states he believes county authorities should make the decision, not city officials.

The board is likely to revisit the contract in mid-April, following a late-March meeting of all of the area fire chiefs.