Salt Lake City Fire Department Hazmat SOG PDF

Standard Operating Guideline (SOG) Hazardous Materials Team Operations Effective Date: 04/01/2024 Guideline Number 04-13 B Revised Date: Number of Pages...

Standard Operating Guideline (SOG) Hazardous Materials Team Operations Effective Date: 04/01/2024 Guideline Number 04-13 B Revised Date: Number of Pages 5 1. Overview: This guideline provides operational considerations for the first-arriving SLCFD unit at the scene of a hazardous materials incident. It is not intended to be all encompassing, but rather, provides a general guideline for size- up considerations, tactical assignments, safety priorities and initial actions during the first phases of a hazardous materials operation. 2. Definitions: A. APIE-T. A risk-based response acronym that allows for adjustment of plans based on the dynamic environment of a hazmat scene. APIE-T stands for: Analyze, Plan, Implement a response, Evaluate, Terminate. B. Cold Zone (aka Support Zone). The area of the site that is free from contamination and that may be safely used as a planning and staging area. C. Decontamination (Decon). The process of removing or neutralizing contaminants that have accumulated on personnel and equipment D. Hazardous Materials (Hazmat). Chemicals or substances that are classified as a physical hazard or a health hazard. Physical hazard materials are those classified as an explosive, flammable cryogen, flammable gas, flammable solid, ignitable liquid, organic peroxide, oxidizer, oxidizing cryogen, pyrophoric, unstable (reactive), or water-reactive material. Health hazard materials are those classified as a toxic, highly toxic, or corrosive material. E. Hazardous Materials Incident. The release or imminent release of a hazardous material from its container. This also includes weapons of mass destruction and any other criminal use of hazardous materials such as illicit labs, environmental crimes, and industrial sabotage. F. Hazardous Materials Team (Hazmat Team). Members of the SLCFD who are trained and currently certified to the NFPA Technician Level (NFPA 470) in hazardous materials response and mitigation, and who currently hold a bid spot at a Hazmat Station. G. Hot Zone (aka Exclusion Zone). The area with actual or potential contamination and the highest potential for exposure to hazardous substances. H. Incident Action Plan (IAP). An oral or written plan containing operational period objectives, and the response strategy defined by Incident Command during response planning. It contains general tactics to achieve goals and objectives within the overall strategy, while providing important information on event and response parameters. I. Risk/Benefit Analysis. A decision made by a responder based on hazed identification and situation assessment that weighs the risk likely to be taken against the benefits to be gained for taking those risks. J. Warm Zone (aka Contamination Reduction Zone). The transition area between the Hot and Cold Zones. This area is where responders enter and exit the Hot Zone and where decontamination activities take place. 3. Guideline: It is the policy of the Salt Lake City Fire Department Hazmat Team to broaden the safety margin of all fire and rescue personnel and to promote operational efficiency by establishing minimum operational guidelines for use during Hazmat responses. All SLCFD Hazmat personnel shall comply with the following procedures and, 04-13B HM Operations SOG, Page 1 of 5 where applicable, with: NFPA 470; NFPA 1500; and the OSHA Code of Federal Regulations Sec 29 CFR 1910.120. Failure to observe these guidelines (and all other SLCFD and/or Salt Lake City Corp. policies) may result in death and may render the supervisor (Incident Commander, Hazmat Captain) and/or SLCFD Member subject to action from the Salt Lake City Corp., the SLCFD, and/or OSHA. This may also include civil and criminal penalties as defined by law. A. Hazard Materials Incident Priorities: Incident priorities during all SLCFD Hazmat Team operations shall be: 1. Life safety of the responders and patients. 2. Stabilization of the scene and rescue of the patients. 3. Property conservation. 4. Environmental protection. B. General Safety: Hazardous Materials Incidents require Technician Level skills and involve varying degrees of risk. SLCFD personnel should understand the situational hazards and take the appropriate steps to safeguard themselves, their team members, and the public/patients. All SLCFD members, including Hazmat Team members, should operate only within their specified/documented level of training. Hazmat Team personnel must be proficient in their performance of the skills, processes, and evolutions as described in the SLCFD Hazmat approved texts and as taught during training. Since the preservation of life is the number one goal, there is little room for error. During all SLCFD Hazmat Team operations, Command, in conjunction with the Safety Officer, shall ensure that the following general safety practices are observed throughout the entire operation or incident. (Note: Each type of incident/operation will have other, more specific safety practices.) 1. The Incident Management System shall be implemented with a visible and strong Command presence. 2. A trained and designated Safety Officer (SO) shall be assigned early in the incident. Ideally, this Safety Officer should have Hazmat training. 3. All personnel shall wear the appropriate level of PPE based on the situation and environment. This may include, but is not limited to: Helmet, gloves, safety glasses, second layer protective clothing such as fire-retardant coveralls, brush gear or turnouts, safety footwear, SCBA, Level A or B suits, etc. 4. Operational Zones should be established if needed and all nonessential personnel backed away from the incident scene. Responders shall wear the appropriate PPE based on their Operational Zone assignment and skill level. 5. Command and/or the Hazmat Group Supervisor should conduct a Risk/Benefit Analysis early in the incident. The overall operational strategy should be clearly defined and communicated to all involved personnel. 6. A trained Rapid Intervention Team (backup personnel) should be in place prior to any Hot Zone entry or as soon as is practically and logistically possible. 7. Hazmat Team members should work in pairs, with a qualified and equipped backup person for each entrant where and whenever possible. 8. A Personnel Accountability Report (PAR) system should be implemented. 9. All hazards should be identified and minimized/controlled prior to the deployment of responding personnel. 10. Establish and maintain an effective communication system/plan. 11. Create a rehab plan early and rotate personnel efficiently. 12. Identify an equipment cache and/or staging area. 04-13B HM Operations SOG, Page 2 of 5  13. Prepare for decontamination as needed. 14. When necessary, a personnel evacuation signal and plan should be established and communicated to all operational personnel. C. Operational Phases and Tactical Procedures: All Hazardous Materials Incidents can be divided into the following Operational Phases, each with its own set of specific Tactical Procedures: Phase I: Arrive, Establish Command, and Size-up the Situation Phase II: Pre-Entry Operations Phase III: Entry Operations Phase IV: Termination of the Incident All SLCFD Hazmat responses will progress through the four Operational Phases outlined above. Based on the situation, some phases may be compressed or extended, or even performed simultaneously. It is important to note that Phase I procedures are consistent with every Hazardous Materials Incident. All members of the SLCFD can and should be able to perform Phase I Operations safely and efficiently. Phase I procedures are Operations Level skills. Phases II-IV require specialty, Technician Level skills/procedures and in turn, are specific to the given operational environment and rescue/recovery situation. Consequently, they are not outlined here within this general SOG. 1. Phase I – Arrive, Establish Command and Size-up Phase I Operations are considered Operations Level skills and all SLCFD members should be capable of conducting Phase I Operations at the scene of a Hazmat Incident. The most important rule to remember as an Operations Level first responder, “do not over commit”. The Operations level responder is to act in a defensive manner. Committing to what may soon become the Hot Zone occurs too often and is in most cases preventable. Consequences of over committing have led to debilitating injuries or death. Upon arrival, the first-in Company Officer will establish Command, conduct an initial size-up, verify the dispatcher's pre-arrival information, and amend the response as necessary. If the SLCFD Hazmat Team is not part of the initial dispatch assignment, the IC should request Hazmat as soon as possible to facilitate a timely response. All non-SLCFD Hazmat personnel shall only operate at the Operations Level as defined by the NFPA and the SLCFD. Upon arrival of the Hazmat Team, the Hazmat Officer should report to Command to receive a situation assessment and assist in the development and implementation of an Incident Action Plan. It is not necessary (or even recommended) that overall incident command be transferred to the Hazmat Officer. Regardless of “who” takes Command, Hazmat Operations, Hazmat Group Supervisors, and Safety Officers should be Hazmat trained Technicians. a. Approach Approach from uphill, upwind: pay attention to flags, plumes, or anything that might indicate wind direction. i. Wind direction from the airport is not reliable. Weather conditions change throughout the valley and should be considered at the point of the incident for every event. Announce approach direction to incoming crews. If possible, identify a safe staging distance and location for incoming crews. b. Isolate and Deny Entry This includes other SLCFD Firefighters (Ops and Awareness). Use on-scene evidence, container type, product identifiers, research (i.e., ERG), and experience to establish an initial Isolation Zone. 04-13B HM Operations SOG, Page 3 of 5  If the product is unknown, use a distance based on chemical phase for initial actions. i. Solids 75’ ii. Liquids 150’ iii. Gasses 300’ iv. Minimum distance in all directions. Larger isolations zones may be necessary. c. Primary Assessment From a safe distance and protected position, attempt to identify the hazardous product based on placarding, phase (i.e., liquid, solid, gas), container shape, size, and designator. Utilize any preplans and/or dispatch information. Identify potential victims, their location, and their exposure level. i. If an immediate rescue is required prior to the arrival of the Hazmat Team: 1. Consult with the Hazmat Team enroute to ensure that structural firefighting gear and SCBA are sufficient protection from the chemical involved. 2. Rescuers should minimize their time in the contaminated area (i.e., “grab and go”). 3. Provide emergency decontamination (decon) to patients exposed to chemicals prior to treatment and transport. Consider consulting with the Hazmat team to assist in research on treatment options and to ensure that decon is sufficient. 4. Decon any firefighters who were exposed during the rescue. ii. Notify hospitals prior to patient arrival. Provide the following information: 1. The chemical the patient was exposed to. 2. The amount and duration of exposure if known. 3. The current and expected medical condition of the patient. 4. Any antidotes given on scene (e.g., 2-PAM Chloride). 5. The level of decon performed on scene. a. Decon must be performed prior to transport. d. Secondary Assessment Assess the need for evacuation and/or protecting in place. i. If evacuation has already occurred, confirm building/property is fully evacuated (“All Clear”), and all evacuees are accounted for. ii. If personnel are unaccounted for, search may be necessary. iii. Consider activating the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and SLCFD Emergency Management (EM) to assist with evacuations and relocations. iv. Utilize both the Department PIO and EM PIO to communicate with local media regarding evacuation routes, evacuated areas, contact information to locate evacuees, etc. Consider the need for additional notifications. i. Health Department. ii. Law Enforcement (i.e., FBI, Postal inspectors, DEA, ATF, etc.). If Law Enforcement notifications are made, SLCFD investigators should be included. iii. OSHA for workplace exposures/injuries. 2. Phase II – Pre-Entry Operations Phase II Operations consists of Analyze and Plan of the APIE-T Acronym. These are considered Operations Level skills and are performed under the direction and supervision of SLCFD Hazmat Team Technicians. Analyze: Collect and evaluate information from dispatch, callers, witnesses, facility representatives, and any on-scene responsible parties. i. Assess container damage. ii. Gather known and potential chemical names and information. 04-13B HM Operations SOG, Page 4 of 5  1. Be prepared to communicate chemical information to the Hazmat Team. iii. If assigned “Investigation” by the IC, prioritize locating the caller and/or responsible party. 1. Perform this from a safe location and out of the product. iv. Monitoring tools may be necessary to: 1. Discover the extent of contamination spread. 2. Determine safe exposure concentrations (i.e., at or below PELs) and exposure levels of any victims or bystanders. 3. Identify Zones of Operation (i.e., Hot, Warm, Cold, Access control). 4. Estimate the duration of expected operations. 5. Determine emergency egress routes and operations. Plan: Response planning should be based on initial information, resources available, and sound research. i. Consider the following factors when making decisions: 1. Immediate and long-term life safety. 2. Exposure location, size, and populations affected. 3. Type and extent of harm to exposures. 4. Resources available for incident mitigation, as well as operations outside of the immediate response. 5. Weather and environmental impact. ii. One of three Operational Modes should be chosen. 1. Non-intervention 2. Offensive 3. Defensive iii. Establish a communications plan, radio channels, and mayday procedure. iv. Predict the course of action. Key questions: 1. Will it be necessary to evacuate or protect in place? 2. How long will the incident last? 3. What kind of resources will be needed? 4. How long will resources take to arrive? v. Identify the decon location, method, and team members. 1. Circumstances (e.g., weather, change in conditions, etc.,) may change the location or type of decon required. a. Never abandon members or change plan while entrants are in the Hot Zone. 2. It must be communicated to the Entry Team if a new decon method or emergent relocation of decon is necessary. 3. Best workplace practice; evacuate and decon members prior to relocation. 04-13B HM Operations SOG, Page 5 of 5