Hazardous Materials Articles and Breaking News

By Todd Shoebridge | 01/11/2012

Hypoxia, asphyxia, cardiac arrest, and then death. Hopefully, I have your attention. Modern technology has changed the way we fight fires, and the ways fire burn. Due to the chemical make-up of manufactured materials, fires today burn hotter, flashovers occur more rapidly, and the smoke is much more toxic. As a result of these factors, firefighters have been dying at a greater rate than ever before from toxic chemical compounds like Carbon Monoxide (CO) and Hydrogen Cyanide (HCN). In the mid 70s George Kimmerle listed eight major factors that can cause death in fires and to those that are involved in them. 1 They are as follows: Direct consu... Read More...

Relevant Tags: hcn, firefighters, fire service, carbon monoxide, manufactured materials, cyanide hcn, todd shoebridge

By Jason Krusen | 01/11/2012

In January 2010, Columbia Fire Department’s Engine 6 was dispatched to an apartment to check for carbon monoxide (CO). Upon arrival the family was standing outside the apartment. They informed Engine 6 that their family member was admitted to the hospital a few hours prior with flu-like symptoms, but that the hospital had just informed them that the patient had CO poisoning. They were concerned that they too may be affected as they were spending a few days in the apartment while visiting the family member. Engine 6 was equipped with a standard four gas meter (O2, LEL, CO, and H2S) and immediately checked the apartment, but was unable to get a... Read More...

Relevant Tags: Hazmat, gas, fire, detector, carbon monoxide, columbia fire

By Glenn Clapp | 01/11/2012

On Saturday, August 13th, seven hazardous materials teams from across the State met in Raleigh for fun, fellowship and competition in the Hazmat Challenge. The Hazmat Challenge is an annual event sponsored by the North Carolina Association of Hazardous Materials Responders (NCAHMR) and is held at the North Carolina Firemen’s Association Conference/South Atlantic Fire Rescue Expo. Read More...

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Jason Krusen | 10/14/2011

The report of a suspicious package these days has become the fire services new general fire alarm. Like a fire alarm the suspicious package is a false call 99 percent of the time, yet we tend to respond to both of them as if they are false 100 percent of the time. Ten or 15 years ago the suspicious package, if even responded by anyone other that law enforcement was a low frequency call. Unfortunately these days with the concerns of terrorism, this call has become a high frequency call, and for a good reason. Read More...

Relevant Tags: Hazmat, package, fire, suspicious, agencies, involved, suspicious package, law enforcement, fire alarm, fire service, lessons learned, haz mat

David Greene | 10/14/2011

A series of explosions occurred in Henderson, Nevada (a Las Vegas suburb) on May 4, 1988. The explosions virtually destroyed two industrial facilities, cracked windows and buffeted a Boeing 737 on final approach at McCarran International Airport seven miles away, and damage extended for a radius of up to 10 miles away. The explosions were registered on the Richter scale at an observatory in California, left a crater 15 feet deep and 200 feet long, and the resulting fire produced smoke that rose to an altitude of several thousand feet. — visible almost 100 miles away. After reading our case study for this issue ( United States Fire Administrat... Read More...

Relevant Tags: Hazmat, fire, material, ammonium perchlorate, henderson nevada, un/na hazard, hazard class, virtually destroyed

Jason Krusen | 07/05/2011

I was fortunate enough to attend the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) 2011 International Hazardous Materials Response Team Conference in Baltimore, MD the third week of May. Attending the conference provided many educational opportunities, abilities to network with peers, and a chance to see the latest technology available to the hazardous materials responder. This was my fifth year attending the conference and I still continue to be amazed. Read More...

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By Glenn Clapp | 07/05/2011

Although the discipline of responding to hazardous materials incidents can be viewed as a relatively new venture in the grand scheme of things, due to the fact that in many jurisdictions the formation of technician-level hazmat teams gained headway in the 1980s, we can actually trace our hazmat roots back to U.S. Navy damage control techniques from World War II and even before. As hazmat technicians, we should never forget the “tricks of the trade” learned by ourselves and others to enable us to work smarter, not harder. In this article, we will discuss some of these techniques, some of which are relatively ancient and some of which are of a ... Read More...

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By Lou Banks | 07/05/2011

Labor Day weekend 2012, the modest-sized city of Charlotte, North Carolina will showcase its southern charm as the international spotlight and hosts of delegates and visitors descend on the city for the 2012 National Democratic Convention where Barack Obama is anticipated to formally receive his party’s nomination for the 2012 presidential election. Most embrace this attention and the forecasted economic benefits, but the Queen City faces the hefty task of securing the convention as a huge bull’s eye is painted on it for foreign and domestic terrorists wanting to spread fear and leave their mark. Read More...

Relevant Tags: HazMat, attack, aerosolized, detection, biological, anthrax, hazmat, aerosolized anthrax, biological attack, first responders, democratic convention, 212 national, national democratic, preparing aerosolized, biological particles, idaho technology, sc

SpillKleen® | 04/29/2011

The SpillKleen ® Chemical Spill Kit, is a convenient laboratory spill kit with everything the emergency responder, EH&S professional, or employee who routinely uses chemicals, needs to neutralize, absorb, and render safe most small, routine chemical spills, including acids, bases, mercury spills, and spills with explosive vapors. Read More...

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Jason Krusen | 04/29/2011

The hazardous materials response community can be very political, and it is important that a team or organization be able to function accordingly. The team must be proactive and engage whenever possible. Hazardous materials incidents can be quite large and involve multiple agencies that do not ordinarily work together. Get involved and network with other agencies and teams, as well as market the team based on its abilities. There are infinite possibilities available to a hazmat team if the initiative is made. Initially, the organization or host agency must determine several things; the scope or capacity it will operate, the expectations of t... Read More...

Relevant Tags: team, hazmat, response, fire, community, training, facility, hazmat team, hazardous materials, vulnerability assessment, search rescue

Glenn Clapp, CHMM, CFPS | 04/29/2011

Back in the 1980s, a concept emerged in the aviation world known as “Crew Resource Management” (CRM), which broadly applied to the study of human behavior in aviation — e.g. how flight crews react to and handle in-flight situations — and specifically related to a “Unified Command” type concept in managing flight operations through joint input of crew members. An additional component of this concept was the development of a “flow” in each crew member’s actions in each type of specific situation or operation — performing task A before task B, etc. This same idea of developing an operational “flow” is also evident in fire service operations, su... Read More...

Relevant Tags: HAZMAT, substance, flammability, hazmat, vapor pressure, vapor production, level concern, flash point, flammable range, pressure mmhg, ignition temperature, “big five”

Glenn Clapp | 01/11/2011

In terms of radiological incidents, some hazmat technicians and specialists state: “I don’t do radiological incidents,” or, “I don’t want to glow in the dark.” In reality, radiological incidents — especially those involving properly labeled and transported sources — are usually much easier to manage than incidents involving unknown chemicals. Although radiation is something that we cannot visually see, many emergency services agencies, and especially hazmat teams, possess radiological monitoring equipment that allows responders to accurately detect radiation and ensure the safety of personnel and the public through sound radiological monitor... Read More...

Relevant Tags: HAZMAT, gas, natural, leak, structure, meter, fire, natural gas, gas company, gas meter, fire department, gas emergencies, not attempt, shut off, odor gas, more importantly, common call

Jason Krusen | 01/11/2011

Natural gas related calls, whether for an odor of gas in the area, or an actual release, are a common call for almost every fire department across the county. The fire department or hazmat team is typically the first call made for assistance by the community, and depending on dispatch protocols the local gas company may be notified as well. A natural gas incident should be treated as a hazmat incident in addition to the suppression issue it may pose. It is the role of the first responders to handle it as such, and hopefully mitigate the incident before it progresses to the latter. Read More...

Relevant Tags: HAZMAT, gas, natural, leak, structure, meter, fire, natural gas, gas company, gas meter, fire department, gas emergencies, not attempt, shut off, odor gas, more importantly, common call

Lou Banks | 10/14/2010

Hazmat, firefighters, and other first responders who have been tasked with incident scene management need reliable information available to them in a timely manner in order to effectively manage incident response. Perceived biological attacks, such as the frequent white powder attack are no different. These white powder attacks usually consist of a victim receiving a threatening letter through the mail that contains a white powder alleged to be Anthrax or some other harmful biological agent. Unlike victims of a chemical or explosive attack where the attack is obvious from an obnoxious odor, burning sensation, or explosion, victims of such a ... Read More...

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Glenn Clapp | 10/14/2010

You have just arrived on the scene of a major hazmat incident and are looking forward to going into the Hot Zone to use what you have learned in Technician Class to “save the day.” Your well-intentioned plans, however, are derailed when the Hazmat Branch Director tells you that you are now the Research Group Supervisor. The natural response of most hazmat responders would be to hang their head down and trudge over to the hazmat unit, as the “job” of Research Group Supervisor is often the most maligned position in the hazmat organization. This does not have to be the case, as hazmat research can be greatly simplified by knowing how to utilize... Read More...

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