The Mathews Volunteer Fire Department has a new hazmat response unit, thanks to efforts by local officials and businesses and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.

Mathews Emergency Services Coordinator Willie Love said on Tuesday morning that, with the approval of the board of supervisors, the county purchased a trailer that was converted into a space with readily-accessible storage for the equipment needed to handle a hazardous materials incident. The wood for the conversion was donated by M&M Building Supply in Mathews.

Todd Cannon, VDEM’s Region 5 Hazardous Materials Officer, said the Virginia Port Authority had offered him a number of sections of hard boom that had been stored for a long time at the inland marine terminal in Richmond, and he readily accepted. He gave some of it to Mathews and some to the Town of West Point.

“Mathews has over 200 miles of coastline, and we’ve been here for sunken vessels,” said Cannon. He explained that he had to borrow boo...