Hazardous Material Response

Hazardous Materials Response Handbook, National Fite Protection Association, 1989. 

R. G. B. Brown, G. Curl, Jr., H. Curl, S. Christopherson, D. Dale, C. Hall, L. Harris, J. Kaperick, D. Kennedy, E. Levine, D. Mattson, B. McFarland, J. McGee, C. L. Merriam, J. Morris, J. Murphy, R. Pavia, E. Shaw, J. Snider, M. Straub, and I. C. White. Oil spill case histories 1967-1991. Summaries of significant U.S. and international oil spills. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration HMRAD 92-11, NOAA Hazardous Material Response and Assessment Division, Seattle, Washington, 1992. 

Some local emergency response personnel and hazardous materials response teams have had to deal with numbers of copycat anthrax hoaxes since October 15 media attention to the Senator Daschle letter. What follows represents some basic information on anthrax to local hazardous materials response crews. 

Hazardous Materials Response Team(s) Establish the HazMat Group, and Provide Technical information/Assistance to Command, EMS Providers, Hospitals, and Law Enforcement. Detect/Monitor to Identify the Agent, Determine Concentrations and Ensure Proper Control Zones. Continually Reassess Control Zones, Enter the Hot Zone (with chemical personal protective clothing) to Perform Rescue, Product Information, and Reconnaissance. Product Control/Mitigation may be implemented in Conjunction with Expert Technical Guidance. Improve Hazardous Environments Ventilation, Control HVAC, Control Utilities. Implement a Technical Decontamination Corridor for Hazardous Materials Response Team (HMRT) Personnel. Coordinate and Assist with Mass Decontamination. Provide Specialized Equipment as Necessary. Assist Law Enforcement Personnel with Evidence Preservation/Collection, Decontamination. 

Federal Bureau of Investigation Hazardous Materials Response Unit (HMRU) Hostage Rescue Team (ninety-one agents)... 

CAER Community Awareness and Emergency Response a program developed by the Chemical Manufacturers Association to provide guidance for chemical plant managers to assist them in cooperating with local communities to develop integrated hazardous materials response plans. 

The U.S. Department of Justice also has two very necessary reports for first responder organizations and hazardous materials response teams. The first such report is entitled An Introduction to Biological Agent Detection Equipment for Emergency First Responders the second such report is entitled Guide for the Selection of Chemical and Biological Detection Equipment for Emergency First Responders. Both are available online at http //www.ojp. usdoj.gov. 

Hazardous Materials Response Team An organized group of trained response personnel operating under an emergency response plan and appropriate standard operating procedures, who are expected to perform work to handle and control actual or potential leaks or spills of hazardous materials requiring close approach to the material to control or stabilize an incident. 

Level Two Incident Hazardous materials incidents which can only be identified, tested, sampled, contained, extinguished, and/or abated utilizing the resources of a HMRT (hazardous materials response team), which requires the use of specialized chemical protective clothing, and whose qualifications are explained in 29 CFR-1910. 

He was a leader on the street, and in the committee rooms where the nitty-gritty of hazardous materials response in the United States is thrashed out. Chief John Eversole was approachable to all persons and eloquent in expressing his thoughts. He also had a definite command presence on an incident scene gained through long command experience. John, we are going to miss you. 

John R. Cashman, AA, BA, MPA, has been writing about hazardous materials response and control for thirty years. He began his career covering events such as road racing and motocross in the summer, and snowmobile racing in the winter, in his off hours while an employee of the state of Vermont. He became a full-time writer of non-fiction in 1978. To date, he has over 250 magazine articles and six books to his credit. In addition, he has published Hazardous Materials Newsletter since April of 1980 (Haznews msn.com). 

Each biological agent chapter has a Response on Scene by First Responders section that includes Caution, Field First Aid, Drugs, Antibiotics, Medical Management, Fire, Personal Protection, Spill/Feak Control, Symptoms, and Vaccines. Also, spread over other chapters, will include basic duties of various first responders including Fire Departments, Emergency Medical Services, Law Enforcement, and Hazardous Materials Response Teams. 

V Team Procedures The emergency response team procedures that detail the responsibilities and duties of each ERT member. Responsibilities and duties are detailed by job description, Incident Commander, fire Captain, fire brigade team member, fire equipment operator, hazardous material response specialist, and other associated emergency response members. 

Oil and Hazardous Materials Response Oil and hazardous materials (chemical, biological, radiological, etc.) response Environmental safety and short- and long-term cleanup U.S. Environmental Protection Agency... 

When establishing a hazardous materials response team, OSHA s regulation for hazardous waste operations and emergency response operations and emergency response, also called HAZWOPER, must be followed. Under Title 29 CFR 1910.120, OSHA includes hazardous waste operations and emergency response, which have separate training requirements. 

Section 4.6 consolidates the requirements for medical support for chemical emergencies. It includes requirements for medical plarming and treatment for mass casualty situations immediate medical consultation and surveillance baseline physical examinations for hazardous materials response team members and hazardous materials specialists specifications for the treatment of emergency response employees and other detailed requirements for emergency response personnel and other employee medical programs and records. 

United States Environmental Protection Agency and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 1996. ALOHA (Areal Locations of Hazardous Atmospheres), MARPLOT 3.1, and CAMEO (Computer-Aided Management of Emergency Operations) User s Manuals. Chemical Preparedness and Prevention Office, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, and Hazardous Materials Response and Assessment Division, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, WA. March. 

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