On June 1^st, Corteva Agriscience, located on Rocky Ford Road, donated two quick response hazardous materials decontamination showers to Lowndes County Fire Rescue. Through the joint efforts of Captain Bennie Kennedy of Lowndes County Fire Rescue and Jamieo Carter with Corteva’s Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S), Corteva provided these showers, which cost several thousand dollars each, at no cost to Lowndes County. 

“We rely on the cooperation between Lowndes County Fire Rescue and Corteva’s EH&S in the event of an emergency or other environmental issue,” said Jason Alber, Corteva Plant Manager. He continued, “We are grateful to have the ability to support Lowndes County Fire Rescue to ensure that emergency responders have the safety equipment necessary to serve our community.” 

When firefighters respond to an incident involving hazardous chemicals and become contaminated, it is a major safety issue to ensure that they are able to decontaminate themselves in the event of an emergency rapidly. Prior to this donation, this was a labor-intensive process requiring multiple personnel and several pieces of equipment. With these showers, firefighters will be able to decontaminate themselves without the need for multiple people or the need for large amounts of equipment. 

This system will also help reduce the amount of wastewater generated due to the compact nature of the showers. While going through decontamination, fire rescue personnel must contain all the potentially contaminated water to ensure it is properly discarded. This process ensures public and environmental protection. 

Corteva has hosted several trainings and drills at their location on Rocky Ford Road and has committed to a mutually beneficial partnership with Lowndes County. “Lowndes County Fire Rescue and Corteva have built a strong relationship that exemplifies how local industry and local government can work hand in hand to improve capabilities for our departments and safety for our citizens, said Benny Kennedy, Captain Lowndes County Fire Rescue.” 

For more information on Lowndes County Fire Rescue, visit www.lowndescounty.com.