Implementing the Planned Response

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Objectives (1 of 6)

• Describe how to notify proper authorities and request additional resources

• Describe procedures for requesting additional resources

• Describe scene control procedures using control zones

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Objectives (2 of 6)

• Describe appropriate locations for control zones and incident command posts

• Describe effective coordinated communication techniques

• Describe evidence preservation

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Objectives (3 of 6)

• Describe the roles of the operations level responder, the incident safety officer, and a hazardous materials branch or group, at a hazardous materials incident

• Describe levels of hazardous materials incidents

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Objectives (4 of 6)

• Describe the incident command system

• Describe the importance of the buddy system and backup personnel

• Describe protective actions during search and rescue, evacuation, and sheltering-in-place

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Objectives (5 of 6)

• Describe safety precautions to be observed when approaching or working in a hazardous materials environment– Safety briefings– Physical capability requirements

• For heat and cold stress

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Objectives (6 of 6)

• Describe evaluation and communication of the status of the response

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Scene Control

• Important at all emergencies

• Paramount at hazardous materials incidents

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Incident Size-up

• Rapid mental evaluation

• Use visual indicators of incident

• Process the information

• Conclusions help form plan of action

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Plan of Action (1 of 2)

• Size-up of incident determines posture

• Aggressive, offensive posture– Attack the problem

• Defensive posture– Isolate the scene and protect exposures– Allow incident to stabilize

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• Initial actions set tone for response and are critical to success of effort– Safety– Isolate– Notify

Plan of Action (2 of 2)

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Safety

• Ensure your own safety

• Obtain briefing from those involved

• Understand nature of problem

• Attempt to identify released substance

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Isolate

• Isolate and deny entry to scene

• Separate the people from the problem

• Establish command post

• Formulate incident action plan

• Begin assigning tasks

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Notify

• Decide if anyone should be notified:– Specialized responders– Law enforcement– Technical experts– Regulatory agencies

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DECIDE Decision-Making Algorithm

Use the DECIDE decision-making algorithm as a loose guide for developing an action plan and to focus your thinking.

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Response Safety Procedures

• Isolate release area

• Establish control zones

• Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG)

• Evacuate others

• Sheltering-in-place strategy

• Emergency medical care at safe location

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Ignition Sources (1 of 2)

• Identify and secure

• So as not to create unintentional ignition source, use only intrinsically safe devices

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Ignition Sources (2 of 2)

All intrinsically safe radios and batteries will be marked by the factory with a specific label denoting them as such.

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Establishing Control Zones (1 of 2)

• Hot zone

• Cold zone

• Warm zone

• Don’t make too big

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Establishing Control Zones (2 of 2)

Control zones spread outward from the center of a hazardous materials incident.

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Emergency Decontamination

• Remove bulk of contaminants from person as quickly and completely as possible

• Performed in potentially life-threatening situations

• Without formal establishment of decontamination corridor

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Protective Actions (1 of 2)

• First priority: Evaluate threat to life– If none exist, severity of incident is diminished

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Protective Actions (2 of 2)

• Life-safety actions include:– Ensuring your own safety– Search and rescue

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Buddy System

• Operating alone should never be allowed

• No fewer than two responders enter contaminated area

• Required by OSHA HAZWOPER regulation

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Backup Personnel

• Backup team – Wears same level of protection as entry team– Required by OSHA HAZWOPER regulation– A team of at least two– Ready to spring into action

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Evacuation (1 of 2)

• Incident commander determines need

• May be assisted by:– Fire fighters– Law enforcement personnel

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Evacuation (2 of 2)

• Safe area must be found

• Transportation must be arranged

• ERG lists evacuation distances– Orange-bordered pages

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Sheltering-in-Place

• Usually inside structures

• Windows and doors closed, ventilation off

• Local emergency plans should identify available facilities

• Evacuate vs. shelter-in-place: Consider chemical released, time available to avoid

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Search and Rescue

• Ensuring your safety is first priority

• Released substance must be known

• IC determines need/feasibility

• Victims are removed to warm zone

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Safety Briefing (1 of 3)

• Written site safety plan should be completed– May have to abandon if rescue required

• Verbal safety briefing is performed– May be brief

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Safety Briefing (2 of 3)

• Informs all responders of:– Health hazards– Incident objectives– Emergency medical procedures

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Safety Briefing (3 of 3)

– Radio frequencies and emergency signals– Description of site– PPE to be worn

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Excessive-Heat Disorders

• Heat exhaustion– Mild form of shock– Use tepid water to drink and cool skin

• Heat stroke– Severe and potentially fatal– Transport immediately to medical facility

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Cold-Temperature Exposures (1 of 2)

• Caused by released materials

• Caused by environment

• Keep clothing next to skin dry

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Cold-Temperature Exposures (2 of 2)

Trenchfoot can result when wet socks are worn at long-term incidents in cool environments.

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Physical Capability Requirements for PPE

• Pre-entry health screening

• On-scene medical monitoring

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Incident Command System (ICS)

(1 of 2)

• HAZWOPER OSHA regulation requires

• Advantages:– Common terminology– Consistent organizational structure– Consistent position titles– Common incident facilities

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Incident Command System (ICS)

(2 of 2)

Major functional components of the ICS.

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Command (1 of 2)

• Responsible for management of response

• Unified command– Helpful when multiple agencies are involved

• Incident command post (ICP)– At or near scene of emergency– Command and all direct support staff

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Command (2 of 2)

A unified command involves many agencies directly involved in the decision-making process for a large incident.

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Command Staff

• Incident commander (IC)

• Safety officer

• Liaison officer

• Public information officer

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Command Staff Functions(1 of 2)

• Operations

• Planning

• Logistics

• Finance/administration

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Command Staff Functions(2 of 2)

The public information officer is responsible for gathering and releasing incident information to the media and other appropriate

agencies.

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Operations (1 of 3)

• Led by Operations Section Chief

• Responsible for all tactical operations

• Contains groups and divisions– Group: Working on same task or objective– Division: Working in same geographic location

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Operations (2 of 3)

• Hazardous materials branch– Hazardous materials safety officer– Entry team– Decontamination team– Backup team– Technical reference team

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Operations (3 of 3)

Creating branches within the Operations Section is one way to manage the span of control during a large incident.

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Planning

• Led by Planning Section Chief

• Central point for collecting information– Situation status– Tracks and logs on-scene resources– Disseminates written incident action plan

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Logistics

• Led by Logistics Section Chief

• Arranges:– Food– Sleeping facilities– Transportation– Other resources

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Finance

• Tracks costs related to incident

• Handles procurement issues

• Bills responder time

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Operations Level Responder (1 of 2)

• Integral component of response plan– Implements or supports actions to protect

people, property, and the environment– Mission-specific duties determined by AHJ

• Familiar with emergency response plans

• Knows different levels of response

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Operations Level Responder (2 of 2)

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Summary (1 of 2)

• SIN—Safety, Isolate, and Notify

• Ensure scene safety– Establish control zones: hot, warm, cold

• Use the buddy system

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• Make risk-based decision to determine whether to evacuate or shelter-in-place

• Safety briefing informs of health hazards

• Avoid/treat heat and cold exposures

• Employ incident command system (ICS)

Summary (2 of 2)

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