6 - HAZMAT Chapter 6

Defensive mode is selected when one of the following two circumstances exists

1 facility or lerp calls for it based on pre incident evaluation of hazards present 2 responders have training & equipment necessary to confine incident to area of origin

Other models may have more steps, but most will contain the following four common elements

1 info gathering or input stage 2 processing, analysis, and/or planning stage 3 implementation or output stage 4 review or evaluation stage

Minimum number of personnel necessary for performing tasks in hazardous area is

4 - 2 working in area & 2 standing by as backup.

Risk

Deals more with probabilities, the probability of getting hurt or injured or suffering damage, harm, or lost because of hazards present.

One strategy has been defined, Command staff needs to select tactics, to achieve strategy.

How, where, & when

Offensive strategy

Includes actions to control incident such as plugging a leak

Distance

Maximizing distance from potential hazards will often prevent or reduce harm.

Staging area

Needs to be located at an isolated spot in safe area where occupants can not interfere with ongoing operations. This minimizes confusion & freelancing at scene, & should be located at isolated spots in cold zone where occupants cannot interfere with ongoing operations

Tactics follow their respective strategies in that they can be

Non intervening, offensive, or defensive in nature

OODA US military

Observe Orient Decide Act

Shielding

Places physical barrier between responder & hazard

Cold zone or support zone

Surrounds war zone & is used to carry out all logistical support functions of incident.

Level-1 (least serious)

This type of incident is within capabilities of fire or emergency service organization or other first responders having jurisdiction. A level one incident is the least serious and the easiest to handle. It may pose a serious threat to life or property, although this situation is not usually the case. Evacuation if required is limited to the immediate area of the incident.

Level 3

This type of incident requires resources from state/provincial agencies, federal agencies, &/or private industry & requires UC. A level 3 incident is most serious of all hazmat incidents. A large-scale evacuation may be required. Most likely, incident will NOT be concluded by any1 agency.

Tactics are measurable both

Time & performance

Responders to protect themselves by utilizing the following

Time, distance, shielding

Important part of hazard assessment is determining which of physical and health hazards associated with hazmat are present at hazmat scene. There may be other hazards present that has nothing to do with hazmat itself.

Traffic hazards or electrical hazards are examples of dangers that need to be considered during hazard assessment as well

US&R designated signals & meanings are as follows

• cease operations/all quiet- 1 blast/3 seconds • evacuate the area - 3 short blasts / 1 second • resume operations - one long & one short blast

Non intervention mode is selected when one or more of the following circumstances exist

• facility or LERP calls for it based on pre incident evaluation of hazards present • situation is clearly beyond capabilities of responders • explosions are imminent • serious container damage threatens a massive release

Protection goals are accomplished through such tactics as the following

• identifying &controlling materials & hazards • avoiding contact with hazmat • maximizing distance between people & hazardous areas • using & wearing appropriate PPE • using time, distance, & shielding when appropriate • conducting rescues • implementing shoring & stabilization at incidents involving structural collapse • providing decontamination • providing emergency medical care & first aid • ensuring victims & responders stay upwind, upstream, & uphill of hazmat • taking any other measures to protect responders & public, including conducting evacuations & sheltering in place

Following info needed for hazmat & risk assessment can be obtained at time incident is reported

• number & type of injuries • occupancy type • type of incident • product & container info if available • location of the incident • equipment & resources responding • time of day • weather

IAP must contain a tracking & accountability system that has the following elements

• procedure for checking in at scene • way of identifying & tracking location of each unit & all personnel • procedure for releasing people, equipment, & apparatus that are no longer needed

In defensive operations, Ops-level first responders should take following actions

• report scene conditions to telecommunication center • initiate incident management system. • call for additional resources as needed • isolate hazard area & entry • establish & indicate zone boundaries • commence evacuation where needed • control ignition sources • use appropriate defensive control tactics • protect exposures • perform rescue when safe & appropriate • evaluate & report incident progress • perform emergency decontamination procedures

Additional size up actions, to process more info relevant to size up, IC can do the following

• review pre incident surveys & sketches • review topography maps & utility plans( for drains / sewers, rivers, streams, & the like) • note arrival time of other responding units • note exposure types & distances • review hydrant & water supply conditions • consider scene access conditions • consider resource staging areas • make preliminary plans for apparatus placement at scene • secure any additional info from telecommunicator • decide what additional units are needed

Protection of responders - measures to protect responders include the following

• staying uphill, upstream, & upwind • wearing PPE • time, distance, shielding • decontaminating responder •accountabilitypersonnel • tracking & identifying all personnel working at incident • working as part of a team or buddy system • assigning safety officers • putting evacuation & escape procedures in place

Elements of an IAP include

• strategies / incident objectives • current situation summary • resource assignment and needs • accomplishments • hazard statement • risk assessment • safety plan & message • protective measures • current & projected weather conditions • status of injuries • communications plan • medical plan

In such nonintervention situations, first-responders should take the following actions

• withdraw to a safe distance • reports in conditions to talk communication center • initiate an incident management system • call for additional resources as needed • isolate hazard area and deny entry • commence evacuation where needed

The following are examples of level 3 incidents

- incidents require evacuation extending across jurisdictional boundaries - incidents beyond capabilities of local hazmat response team - incidents activate (in part or whole) federal response plan

Successful handling of incident requires collective effort from several following resources/procedures

- specialists from industry & governmental agencies - sophisticated sampling & monitoring equipment - specialized leak & spill control techniques - decontamination on large-scale

The following are examples of level 2 incidents

- spill or leak requiring limited scale evacuation - any major accident, spillage, or overflow of flammable liquids - spill or leak of unfamiliar or unknown chemicals - accident involving extremely hazardous substances - rupture of an underground pipeline - fire that is posing a boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion (BLEVE) threat in a storage tank

Properly trained & equipped response team could be expected to perform following tasks

-Use chemical protective clothing - dike & confined within contaminated areas - perform plugging, patching, & basically control activities - sample & test unknown substances - perform various levels of decontamination

Following 3 incident based elements affect selection of strategic mode, & IC must always have clear picture of them as IAP is developed

1 value 2 time 3 size

Any hazmat team working within the hazardous area must have at least

2 members

In the case of hazmat incidents, it must be understood that problem solving and decision making are fluid processes.

A first responders understanding of a problem and consequence plans to address it may change as more info becomes available and or conditions change

Non-intervention strategy

Allows the incident to run its course on its own.

As with a structure fire, hazmat size up must consider all six sides of the incident, often referred to as

Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, & the top & bottom

APIE By the International Association of firefighters IAFF

Analyze Plan Implement Evaluate and repeat

Developing incident action plans (IAPs)

Are critical to the rapid, effective control of emergency operations. Is a well thought out, organized course of events developed to address all phases of incident control within a specified time. Large-scale or complex incidents require creation and maintenance of written plan for each operational period.

Defensive Operations

Are those in which responders seek to confine emergency to a given area without directly contacting hazmat involved

Offensive operations

Are those where responders to take aggressive, direct action on the material, container, or process equipment involved in incident.

Warm zone or contamination reduction zone or corridor

Area adjoining hot zone & extending to cold zone

Hot zone or exclusion zone

Area surrounding an incident that is potentially very dangerous either because it presents a threat in the form of hazmat or effects thereof.

Once you know the hazards or potential hazards, it is a matter of estimating how likely it is that harm or loss will actually occur

Assessing risk is often more difficult than assessing hazards themselves

Size up

Assessment of incident conditions & recognition of cues indicating problems & potential problems presented by incident. Mental process of considering all available factors that will affect incident during course of operation. Info gained used to determine strategies & tactics that are applied to incident during planning & implementation stages.

At incidents involving crimes, law enforcement may designate a zone 2 in corporate entire crime scene which may not correspond to traditional fire service activities for example

At terrorist incidents in the US, the FBI establishes an evidence search perimeter 1.5 times the distance of the farthest known piece of evidence

Workers in cold zone are not required to wear PPE because zone is considered safe, although some personnel may still be wearing PPE to ensure safe evacuation in case of rapid expansion of hot zone. For example,

Body armor in case of secondary devices &/or attacks

Tactics related to controlling chemical releases basically falls into two categories,

Confinement (spill control) & containment (leak control) With majority of defensive control options being related to confinement

DECIDE by Ludwig Benner

Decide the presence of hazmat Estimate likely harm without intervention Choose response objectives Identify action options Do best option Evaluate progress

Warm zone is used as a buffer between hot & cold & is the place to decontaminate personnel & equipment exiting hot zone.

Decontamination usually takes place within a corridor located in warm zone. decon corridor

Determining modes of operation, strategies of divided into three options that relate two modes of operation

Defensive, offensive, & non intervention.

Evaluating progress or looking back

Final aspects of problem solving process

Analyzing the incident, it is impossible to solve a problem without enough info to understand it.

For example, first-responders cannot fully mitigate a hazmat incident if they don't know what material is involved. For that matter, they cannot take appropriate steps to protect themselves or others if they do not know what hazmats are present.

Many incident management process models are in used to provide first responders a series of steps or actions to take at hazmat incidents and terrorist attacks. Some of the better-known systems are as follows

GEDAPER DECIDE APIE SISIACMRD OODA RAIN

GEDAPER by David Lesak taught by the National Fire Academy

Gather information Estimate potential course and harm Determine strategic goals Assess tactical options & resources Plan of action implementation Evaluate Operations Review the process

Evacuation/Escape procedures - FEMA US&R Task Force program developed a system for evacuating rescuers from dangerous areas. Notification can be made using devices such as

Handheld co2, boat air horns, air horns on fire apparatus, or vehicle horns.

Isolation & scene control- once Resource have been committed to an incident, it is easier to reduce the isolation perimeter in size then it is to extend it

IC must undertake a risk assessment or size up of incident in order to determine an appropriate size for isolation perimeter.

Action planning starts with

Identifying strategy to achieve solution to confronted problems

Assessing the risk at a hazmat incident is a matter of determining the if of a situation

If I do this, then this might happen. If this happens, then this will follow. If I don't do this, then this could occur.

If IAP is effective, IC should receive favorable progress reports from technical &/or tasks supervisors & incident should begin to stabilize.

If mitigation efforts are failing or situation is getting worse or more intense, plan must be reevaluated & revised

Most incident level models define 3 levels of response graduating from

Level-1 (least serious) to Level 3 (most serious)

Time

Living in the time to which they are exposed or potentially exposed to hazards and hazard materials reduces the likelihood of serious harm

Buddy systems & backup personnel

Mandated by NFPA & OSHA

Size

Most frequently driven by need to conduct protective action concurrently with incident control operations. Evacuation or protection in place

Accountability systems -

Most important function of incident management system to provide means of tracking all personnel & equipment assigned

Buddy system

Organizing personnel into work groups in such a manner that each member has a buddy or partner, so that nobody is working alone. Purpose of buddy system is to provide rapid hope in event of emergency

Many factors may have an effect on the situation, everything from wind direction, topography, land use, and the presence of victims to concerns such as equipment access and available response personnel. The initial survey should include the answers to the following questions.

Page 271 has 20 questions go through it

Hazard and risk assessment

Part of size up process, focusing particularly on dangers, hazards, & risks presented by the incident.

Other communication methods in the event of an emergency can include

Portable radios, voice, hand signals, or the use of predetermined signals.

Time

Possible limited window of opportunity exists to intervene before an incident escalates dramatically, estimated time during which offensive operations may be initiated. Reaction and response times of technical level responders may be driving factor in selecting strategic mode for incident operations. Such as cooling of liquefied gas container exposed to direct flame impingement on its vapor space.

Hazard control zones

Provide for scene control required at hazmat & terrorist incidents to protect responders from interference by unauthorized persons, help regulate movement of first responders within the zones, and minimize contamination (including secondary contamination from exposed or potentially exposed victims)

Defensive strategy

Provides confinement of the hazard to a given area by performing diking, damming, or diverting actions.

In addition to using the buddy system, backup personnel should be standing by with equipment ready to provide assistance or rescue if needed.

Qualified basic life support personnel as a minimum also be standing by with medical equipment & transportation capability.

RAIN This concept can be used to simplify objectives of WMD incidents

Recognize characteristics of WMDs Avoid, by protection, hazards of WMDs Isolate hazards of WMDs Notify appropriate resources & authorities when responding to an event possible involving WMDs

Value

Related directly to incident priorities of life safety, incident stabilization, and property conservation. Stated in terms of yes or no - either there is value (yes) or there is no value (no). What it's been determined yes, degree of value can be assessed. If civilian life hazard exists, value is high

Strategies & tactics are accomplished or conducted by performing specific tasks

Relationship between priorities, strategic goals, tactics, tasks, & IMS level normally associated with each

Included within these control zones, certain tasks are performed

Rescue & leak control in hot zone, establishment of safe refuge area & decontamination corridor in warm zone, & triage, treatment, transportation, & incident support functions in cold zone

Non intervention Operations

Responders take no direct actions on actual problem. Not taking any action is only safe & best strategy in certain types of incidents when mitigation is failing or otherwise impossible. Example: pressure vessel cannot be cool because exposed to fire.

SISIACMRD New South Wales Fire Brigades NSW FB Australia. This acronym is easily remembered by using the following mnemonic: Sick In Side I Always Call My Regular Doctor

Safe approach Incident command / control Secure the scene Identify risk / hazmat Assess potential harm Call in resources Monitor info Render safe Decontaminate

OSHA & EPA refer to these zones collectively as

Site work zones sometimes called scene control zones

Information gathered during incident scene analysis, then analyzed through hazard & risk assessment model such as the general hazardous materials behavior model

Size up

The following are examples of a level one incident

Small amount of gasoline or diesel fuel spilled from an automobile Leak from domestic natural gas line on the consumer side of the meter Broken containers of consumer commodities such as paint, sinners, bleach, swimming pool chemicals, and fertilizers (owner or proprietary is responsible for cleanup & disposal)

Hazard & risk assessment is a continual evaluation

Starts with pre incident planning & continues throughout course of incident

The most common hazmat management process contain the elements of basic 4-step problem solving formula developed by George Polya former, professor of mathematics at Stanford University

Step 1 understand the problem Step 2 devise a plan Step 3 carry out the plan Step 4 look back

Implementing incident action plan (IAP). After strategic goals have been selected & IAP formulated, IC can begin to implement plan.

Strategic goals are achieved through tactics or tactical objectives.

The area may be contaminated by chemical warfare agents, or it may have potential to become contaminated by a released hazmat.

The area has been or could be exposed to gases, vapors, mist, dust, or run off of material.

Multi agency command post (CP), staging area, donning/doffing area, backup teams, research teams, logistical support, criminal investigations teams, triage/treatment/rehabilitation (rehab), & transportation areas are located within

The cold zone

In the case of hazmat incidents one of the key pieces of info needed to begin understanding the problem is

The identity of the hazmat.

Planning the appropriate response, strategic goals must be selected based on following criteria

Their ability to: •be achieved • prevent further injuries &/or death •minimize environmental & property damage within constraints of safety, time, equipment, & personnel

Responders must have proper training in appropriate PPE to work in the hot zone or to support work being done inside the hot zone

There will be established access and egress points to ensure both accountability and designated PPE prior to entry.

Level 2

This type of incident is beyond capabilities of first responders on scene & maybe beyond capabilities of first response agency/organization having jurisdiction. Level two incidents may require services of formal hazmat response team.

Backup personnel must be dressed in same level of personal protective clothing as entry personnel

True

Once plan is established and resources committed it's necessary to assess its effectiveness

True

These control zones are not necessarily static & can be adjusted as incident changes.

True

PPE will normally be required in this zone, although in some circumstances it may be at a reduced level from hot zone

Warm zone

Strategy is broad in nature & defines

What has to be done.

IAP ties entire problem solving process together by stating

What the analysis has found, what the plan is, and how it should be implemented.

hot zone extends far enough to prevent people outside zone from suffering ill effects from released mat, explosion, or other threat.

Work performed inside hot zone is often limited to highly trained personnel such as SWAT teams, US&R teams, hazmat techs, joint hazard assessment teams (JHAT), & bomb techs

Protection

overall goal of ensuring safety of responders & public. Goals also include measures taken to protect property & environment.

From a risk management perspective, it is better to encompass a larger area that can be reduced in size once incident site conditions have been assessed for risks

such as secondary devices, unidentified hazardous materials, & atmospheric monitoring.

What are the same, additional pieces of the hazard and risk assessment are added to the info made available before arrival. The following conditions should be evaluated

• unusual signs ( smoke, fire, explosions, leaking material, vapor clouds, & the like) • life hazards • products involved • container types • amount of product involved • product travel or path of fire • actions already taken by people on scene