Incidents Involving Hazardous Materials
PURPOSE
To provide a safe and systematic approach to those incidents which possess a high level of safety concern to responders, the public, and the environment.
DEFINITION
A hazardous material response incident is defined as “an incident that has the potential for serious or large loss of life and/or major property loss”. A hazardous material incident usually involves a major chemical or substance release and may include the destruction of the material’s container and/or the surrounding environment.
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
Generally, the Fire Department shall function as an emergency response team and shall not respond as a hazardous materials response team. The action of Firefighters at a hazardous materials incident shall depend on the type and amount of material involved. Training and available equipment shall be taken into consideration by the Incident Commander on any hazardous materials incident. If structural Firefighting gear does not provide enough protection, the incident shall not be entered. Incidents such as minor fuel spills, minor leaks from propane or anhydrous ammonia tanks or other minor events may be handled by department members without calling outside agencies.
The standard operation guidelines applicable to all Fire Department responders are:
Emergency Response
Respiratory Protection
Protective Clothing
Fire Ground Command
If the amount of spilled material exceeds the Reportable Quantity, as listed by the National Register, the following agencies shall be notified:
Local Emergency Manager
North DakotaState Radio 1-800-472-2121
The following agencies may be contacted for further information or assistance:
CHEMTREC 1-800-424-9300
National Response Center 1-800-424-8802
Members and apparatus responding to an incident shall not approach the scene, but shall maintain a safety perimeter so that any release of material or energy will not have the potential for injury, death, or damage. Only after the material has been identified and the potential hazard has been defined, should the proper approach be made.
The Incident Commander shall establish command from a command post in accordance with the standard operating guideline.
A Safety Officer shall be designated by the Incident Commander. The Safety Officer shall identify and evaluate any hazards and maintain the safety of operations. The Safety Officer shall have the authority to change or terminate any unsafe activity, reporting the change to the Incident Commander.
The Incident Commander shall institute the standard operating guideline for command, including the establishment of a safety perimeter for all activities. No responders shall enter the established safety zone.
Hazardous material identification shall be made from the most remote position available using:
Driver perceptual information
Binoculars
Container shape, size, or markings
Upon identification of the material, reference shall be made to the current DOT Emergency Response Guidebook for general precautions to be taken.
A material identification sheet may be filled out and CHEMTREC may be called if further information and/or assistance is required.
If a Unified Command structure is in use, site security and control shall be established by appropriate Law Enforcement.
In the event evacuation is required, priority zones shall be established and the evacuation accomplished by the appropriate Law Enforcement Office coordinated by the Incident Commander. Evacuation routes will be determined by the Incident Commander and the Chief Law Enforcement personnel on scene.
Emergency Medical personnel shall be called to stand by on-site of any hazardous materials incident.
Personnel shall be limited in number within any safety zones to those individuals actively performing emergency operations. Operations in hazardous safety zones shall be performed using the “buddy system”.
Command shall review all known information with personnel assigned to the work crews. This information should consist of chemical, physical, and toxicological properties of the material(s) in concern as well as signs and symptoms of exposure to such material(s).
All personnel and/or equipment which may have contacted any hazardous material shall be decontaminated according to procedures developed specifically for the particular material(s) involved at the incident. The Incident Commander shall be responsible for organizing the decontamination process. This process can be accomplished by appointment of a Decontamination Officer. Decontamination is not complete until the commander of an attending hazardous material response team concurs with the completion. At least one member of said team must be trained to the Hazardous Materials Operations Level per OSHA 29 CFR 1910.120.
All members involved in an emergency response involving hazardous materials shall receive a post incident critique upon conclusion of the incident. Comments and recommended improvements or modifications concerning procedures shall be incorporated into the incident report as submitted by the Incident Commander.
Training shall be provided to members of the department for emergency response to hazardous materials incidents. The training shall be conducted on an annual basis per OSHA 29 CFR 1910.120. In addition to the annual hazardous materials training, identification, handling, isolation, and SOG review shall be performed at regular intervals.