An introduction to HM Response for Fire Service personnel

1. A Simple Guide to
Hazardous Materials Response

2. Let’s start with the
basics…

3. Our Incident Priorities
 Life Safety first
 Incident Stabilization second
 Property Conservation third

4. Eight easy steps to HM
Incident Management
 Isolation  SpillControl
 Notification  Leak Control
 Identification  Fire Control
 Protection  Recovery and
Termination

5. What do you call an
Engine with 3 HM Techs
initially arriving on an
incident?
An Engine with three HM
Operations level personnel…

6. Until you get the right
level of CPE and decon on
the scene…
You’re stuck at the Operations
level!

7. But that’s OK…
You can do a lot of good at the
Operations level!

8. Defensive Response
Operations (HM Operations)
 Isolation
 Notification
 Identification
 Protection
– Level B and D
 Spill Control
– Product Confinement
 Fire Control
 Recovery and Termination

9. Offensive Response
Operations (HM Techs)
 Identification
– Sampling
– Categorization
 Protection
– Level A
 Leak Control
– Product Containment

10. Life Safety
 Isolation
– Deny entry
– Don’t expose anyone else
– Keep the dirty people in the hot zone
 Set up an Area of Safe Refuge then decon
 Notification
– BFD HazMat Team
– Williamson County HazMat Response Group
– Williamson County EMA and EMS
– Nashville Fire Department HazMat

11. Isolation
 Deny entry by public and other responders
– Stay 300 feet away – uphill and upwind
– Block access with apparatus
– Use PD to block other avenues
– Exercise extreme caution with downwind and
downstream access
– Establish Area of Safe Refuge for contaminated
persons (uphill/upwind but still in Hot Zone)

12. Evacuation
 Takes a lot of time…consider it early!
 Be proactive…get ahead of the power
curve!
 But, stick with the NAERG initial
isolation distances and protective
action distances…they are defensible
in court.
 The higher the vapor pressure…or
lower the IDLH - the greater the
likelihood of evacuation.

13. Life Safety
 Identification
– Based on:
 Occupancy and location
 Container shapes and sizes
 Markings and colors
 Placards and labels
 Documents and papers
 Senses
– Distance from incident decreases and risk
increases as you go down the list

14. Life Safety
 Protection
– Isolation zones (hot, warm, cold)
– CPE (Level A, B, C or D)
– Decontamination (mass, emergency and
technical)
– Air monitoring
– Medical monitoring
– Rehabilitation

15. Protection
 Four levels of CPE
– Level A – vapor tight with SCBA
– Level B – splash protection with SCBA
– Level C – splash protection with APR
– Level D – turnouts/work clothes

16. CPE vs. Incident Types
 9 Hazard Classes
 Each hazard class typically has a level of
CPE associated with it
 We are only concerned with three of them
(Level A, B, and D) – 75%
 Initial responders are only concerned with
one (Level D) – makes it easy!
 Caveat is that you are sufficient distance
away – out of the hot zone!

17. Hazard Classes and CPE
 Class 1 – Explosives  Class 5 – Oxidizers
– Level D – Level D
 Class 2 – Gases  Class 6 – Poisons
– Poison – Level A – Gases – Level A
– Others – Level D – Others – Level B
 Class 3 – Liquids  Class 7 – Rads
– Level D – Level D
 Class 4 – Solids  Class 8 – Corrosives
– Level D – Level A or B
 Class 9 – ORM’s
– ?

18. Level A CPE
 High level of protection
 Vapor tight CPE
 Highest level of respiratory protection
with SCBA
 Technician level activity
 Requires:
– Two in – Two Out
– Technical and Emergency Decon

19. Level B CPE
 Second highest level of protection
 Splash protection coupled with highest level
of respiratory protection with SCBA
 Operations level activity in defensive mode
 Requires
– Two In – Two Out
– Technical and Emergency Decontamination

20. Level C CPE
 Lowest level of chemical protection
 Splash protection with lowest level of
respiratory protection with air purifying
respirator
 APR’s require known identification and
concentration of contaminant
 Not practical for initial response

21. Level D CPE
 The ultimate in standoff protective attitude
 Provides sub-minimal splash protection
 SCBA provides highest level of respiratory
protection
 Suitable protection for explosives,
flammable gases and liquids, flammable
solids, oxidizers, and radioactive
 Works best when added with DISTANCE!

22. Incident Stabilization
 Notification
– Who you gonna call? Call early and often!
 Identification
– Operations level activity at a distance (binocs)
– Technician level activity hands on (HazCat)
 Spill Control
– Operations level activity

23. Incident Stabilization
 Leak Control
– Technician level activity
 Fire Control
– Operations level activity
 Recovery
– Will be handled by HM clean-up company

24. Decision Making
 Use the DECIDE model
– Detect the problem
– Estimate the likely harm w/wo
intervention
– Choose response objectives
– Identify action options
– Do the best option
– Evaluate progress

25. Detect the problem
 Occupancy and location
 Container shapes and sizes
 Markings and colors
 Placards and labels
 Information sources
 Senses

26. Estimate likely harm
 Stress – event begins w/stress to container
 Breach – stress leads to container failing
 Release – breach releases matter or energy
 Engulf – matter or energy creates a zone of
danger
 Impinge – matter or energy impinges on
exposures
 Harm – impinged exposures will be harmed
based on chemical properties

27. Choose response
objectives
 Offensive – requires HM techs to come
into close or physical contact with the
material
 Defensive – requires HM ops to act to
prevent the material from spreading
 Non-intervention – taking no action –
absolute defensiveness.

28. Identify action options
 Notification
– Mutual aid
– Specialized personnel
– Specialized equipment
– Command, control, communication,
computers, and information (C4I)
– Incident management (NIMS)
– Incident Action Plans (IAP’s)

29. Do the best option
 According to Callan, Hierarchy of
Decisions
– Quickest – usually the first and deadliest
– Easiest – usually the second – least
resource or labor intensive
– Best – 30 second rule – take your time.

30. Do the best option
 Also consider:
 According to Callan, two types of danger –
 Matter
– Gases, vapors, liquids, and solids
 Energy
– Radioactive, explosive, reactive, flammable,
thermal extremes, and mechanical hazards
 Materials are toxic before they are
flammable – all flammables should be
considered toxic.

31. Evaluate your progress
 Did it work?
 Do you need more help?
 Do you need to revise your incident
management system?
 Do you need to revise your Incident
Action Plan?

32. Property Conservation
 Spill Control
– Confine the spill to the smallest possible area
 Leak Control
– Contain the spill to the container – reduce or
discontinue the spill
 Recovery
– Recover spilled materials and return
environment to pre-spill condition
 Terminate
– Paperwork and lessons learned

33. Questions?

34. References
 Callan, Michael. Street Smart
Hazardous Materials Response. 2004.
 Noll, Greg; Hildebrand, Michael;
Yvorra, James. Managing Hazardous
Materials Incidents. 2005.
 US Department of Transportation.
North American Emergency Response
Guide. 2004.