Question: which of the following is a hazardous material?
A.
Gasoline
B.
White out
C.
Oxygen
D.
Peroxide
The answer is: all of the above.
Incidents involving hazardous materials don’t occur
frequently but when the call comes in quick action is required. Does your agency
have a dispatcher protocol for hazardous materials events? If so, follow the
procedure. What happens if there is no specific policy & procedure in
place? What should you ask? Where can you find out information on the involved
substance?
Having information ahead of time is a hallmark of
preparation. Public Safety Telecommunicators should have a reference in the
communications center. The most common book utilized is the ‘orange book’, or
Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG). The Emergency Response Guidebook is
published by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety Administration. The book can be obtained for free by agencies
or downloaded from the site. The ERG provides data on thousands of substances
(solids, liquids, and gasses). Information includes basic instructions for
initial incident handling by First Responders, medical concerns, treatment, and
handling/clean-up. A list of companies that can provide detailed help regarding
the substance is listed for USA, Canada, and Mexico. The National Poison
Control number is given as well. Another source of help is the ‘Pocket Partner’
website. This extensive guidebook for Public Safety personnel requires a fee to
access the data. Another reference is a binder put together by the individual department consisting of 'MSDS', or Material Safety Data Sheets. These documents have a detailed explanation of the material, it's chemical make-up, hazards, handling spills, and medical treatment.
Hazardous materials incidents can run the gamut from a
simple spill of gasoline at an accident scene to a call for weapons of mass
destruction (WMD) threat. Terrorism is defined by Webster as “the use of
violent acts to frighten the people in an area as a way of trying to achieve a
political goal.” The U.S. Code goes a little further in its definition: “…the unlawful use of force and violence
against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian
population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.”
In 1984, members of the Raineeshpuram cult grew and used
Salmonella bacteria to contaminate salad bars at local restaurants to influence
an election causing 715 to become sick and 45 hospitalized. In 1995, Larry
Wayne Harris illegally obtained vials of Yersinia pestis – which causes bubonic
plague. Mr. Harris resurfaced again in 1998, claiming to have the anthrax
substance (proved to be animal variety). The Dirkson Senate building in Florida
was shut down and five deaths resulted from letters received contaminated with
anthrax. Natural gas explosions have made the news in recent years but the
event is not new. In 1928, an explosion at the Mather Mine (PA) killed 195 men.
Propane gas ignited by passing trains killed 575 people in Ufa. Chlorine gas
leaks can be devastating, especially when the gas forms a cloud. The city of
Henderson (NV) dealt with a chlorine gas leak in 1991 that resulted in 7000
people being displaced, 200 treated at local hospitals and 30 people admitted.
Two bombs placed at the Boston Marathon killed 3 and injured over 260 people.
Even the threat of a bomb can disrupt a city for hours. A common sight is a
semi-truck hauling fuel. In 1982, a double-tanker hit a vehicle and was itself
hit by another vehicle in the Caldecott Tunnel. The resulting fire killed
seven. Due to the location, the fire was allowed to burn out due to issues with
the fire water mains.
Calls may originate via 911, non-emergency lines,
in-house lines, or social media. Dispatchers should attempt to obtain as much
information as possible. Any data obtained should be relayed to First responders
as soon as possible. The information obtained by dispatchers can impact how
First Responders handle the event. First due companies may request a HazMat unit
to respond immediately. Agency protocol
may require an automatic mutual aid request or ‘alert’ page.
Questions to ask include (see your department’s
guidelines for further guidance):
1)
Caller’s name and phone number
2)
Date and time of incident
3)
Location of incident (address) and type of
terrain (urban, desert, hills, etc.)
4)
What problem is (actual verses threat)
5)
If hazmat, type of substance (liquid, gas,
solid)
6)
Any odor? If so, can caller describe it (sweet,
fruity, rotten egg, grassy, hayish, etc.)
7)
Is substance contained (jack-knifed trailer,
etc.)
8)
Is anyone sick, injured, or dead? Where is
victim(s)?
9)
Is there any smoke or fire?
10)
Can caller see the placard on vehicle or
premises? What is the color and code?
11)
Has there been an explosion?
12)
If a device has been found, where is it?
13)
What does device look like?
14)
Anyone seen in area possibly relating to device
or threat? Get description (person and vehicle), when last seen, and direction
of travel.
Many states have a course on Weapons of Mass destruction
for Public Safety Personnel. The Federal Emergency Management Authority (FEMA) offers
free self-paced on-line courses in this topic.
Emergency Response Guidebook site:
Pocket Guide site:
FEMA website:
http://training.fema.gov/is/crslist.aspx
Until next time, stay safe out there.
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