Suspicious chemicals investigated

HUDSON – A suspicious chemical haze at a local metal plating company sent two firefighters to the hospital Monday night and forced the activation of three area hazardous materials teams.

Hudson fire crews responded to JMD Industries Inc. at 1 Park Ave. after receiving an automatic box alarm from the company at about 9:40 p.m., Hudson Fire Prevention Officer Steve Dube said.

Upon arrival at the metal plating company, which is off Route 111 near the Hudson Police Department, the firefighters entered the building and after seeing a haze and smelling a strong odor, backed out of the building and alerted department officials, Dube said. No one was in the building at the time.

At that point, about 10 p.m., the department’s Hazmat team was activated, Dube said.

Hudson police closed off Park Avenue at Route 111, and with the assistance of the Hudson CB Patrol, closed off all other roads leading to Park Avenue, Dube said. The two firefighters who initially entered the building were transported to Southern New Hampshire Medical Center in Nashua for observation and were still at the hospital at 11:30 p.m., Dube said.

Also at that time, a five-member Nashua Hazmat team was suiting up in level A protection suits, the highest level available, to enter the building and investigate to find the source of the haze and odor, Dube said.

Members of the Southern New Hampshire Regional Hazmat team were also alerted to the scene, Dube said, as well as the Souhegan Mutual Aid Response Team. No further information was available.