Wisconsin has many potential sources for technological threats- 3 active nuclear power plants, 3,678 miles of railroad tracks, 111,517 miles of roads and highways, 150-200 airports, and numerous active harbors along Lakes Superior and Michigan and the Mississippi River. All of these require local and state emergency planning.

Under the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA) there are more than 7,000 facilities in Wisconsin that plan and report use/storage of certain chemicals. The EPCRA Program requires communities to prepare for hazardous chemical releases through emergency planning and by maintaining hazardous chemical information that is submitted to them by the facilities covered under the law.

To provide a high level of hazardous materials response capabilities to local governments, Wisconsin has eight Regional Response or "Level A" Teams and 41 counties have County Hazardous Materials or "Level B" Teams.