Bernalillo County Fire & Rescue Hazardous Materials Response PDF

A picture containing text, queen, clipart, accessory Description automatically generated **Bernalillo County Fire & Rescue** STANDARD OPERATING GUIDELINES **Field Operations** EFFECTIVE DATE 10/2018 REVIEWED DATE 4/2021 **SOG 9.1** **Devon Sullivan, Commander Greg Perez, Fire Chief** Purpo...

A picture containing text, queen, clipart, accessory Description automatically generated **Bernalillo County Fire & Rescue** STANDARD OPERATING GUIDELINES **Field Operations** EFFECTIVE DATE 10/2018 REVIEWED DATE 4/2021 **SOG 9.1** **Devon Sullivan, Commander Greg Perez, Fire Chief** Purpose: The purpose of this guideline is to provide a basic philosophy and strategic plan for Hazardous Materials situations. All Bernalillo County Fire Department Standard Operating Procedures, unless superseded by a specific part of this plan, remain in effect for Hazardous Materials incidents. Scope: Hazardous Materials incidents encompass a wide variety of potential situations including fires, spills, transportation accidents, chemical reactions, meth labs, explosions and similar events. Hazards involved may include toxicity, flammability, radiologic exposure, corrosives, explosives, health and chemical reactions or a combination of factors. This plan provides a general framework for handling a hazardous materials incident, but does not address the specific tactics or control measures for particular incidents. General Guidelines: Every incident presents the potential for exposure to hazardous materials; even the products of combustion of an ordinary fire may present severe hazards to personnel safety. This procedure is specifically applicable to known hazardous materials incidents, but it does not reduce the need for appropriate safety precautions at every event. The use of FULL PROTECTIVE CLOTHING AND SCBA AS WELL AS SPECIAL PROTECTIVE CLOTHING and the use of all Standard Operating Procedures on a continuing basis are foundational for this plan. **Command System: Blue Card:** The command system used for a NIMS Type 4 and 5 HAZMAT incident remains the same when using Blue Card. Blue Card fulfills all OSHA 1910.120 command requirements (the IC must be trained to the minimum of HAZMAT Operations level). The major difference of using the 8 Functions of Command on a structure fire vs. a HAZMAT incident here is the organization the IC uses to manage a HAZMAT entry. **First Arriving Unit:** The first arriving company, Battalion Commander will respond to the scene, upwind, in a defensive manner (Cold zone). All other companies will respond directly to a Level 2 staging location designated by the first due unit or the dispatch center. This area should be upwind and a sufficient distance away from the incident that it keeps the scene clear and maintains good access to the incident site. First due companies need to determine the best Level 2 staging location based on the products involved, weather conditions, the scene arrangement, and the ERG safe distance guidelines. Once determined, the Level 2 staging location must be announced to the dispatch center and all other responding units. **Level 2 Staging:** - Level 2 Staging for a HAZMAT incident will follow the same Blue Card Level 2 SOPs for structural firefighting - Once a Level 2 staging location has been selected, the dispatch center shall dispatch all subsequent FD resources for the incident to the Level 2 staging area - All outside agencies dispatched to a HAZMAT incident should be sent directly to the Level 2 staging area that is designated by the IC **Standard Deployment:** An Operations level HAZMAT IC should follow the standard deployment outlined below: - Operate in a DEFENSIVE manner - Provide for the safety of all personnel and the public - Evacuate exposed areas if necessary - Identify and isolate the Hot and Warm zones - Deny entry - Attempt to identify the products involved - Upgrade the assignment based on the incident's hazard profile - Contain the release from a safe distance, and keep it from spreading - Protect exposures **Size-Up:** Command must make a careful size-up before making a commitment. It may be necessary to take immediate action to make a rescue or evacuate an area. This should be attempted only after a risk/benefit analysis is completed. Based on the risk management plan (RMP) and the chemical profile of the incident, ICs must be very pessimistic when evaluating a HAZMAT incident's life safety profile. Generally, people that are exposed to hazardous materials and at the point of unconsciousness are dead. Personnel must take advantage of available personal protective equipment in these situations. The objective of the size-up is to identify the nature and severity of the immediate problem and to gather sufficient information to formulate a valid action plan. Hazardous materials incidents require a cautious and deliberate size-up. Avoid premature commitment of companies and personnel to potentially hazardous locations. Proceed with caution in evaluating risks before formulating a plan and keep uncommitted companies at a safe distance. IN MANY CASES, EVALUATION BY HAZARDOUS MATERIALS TECHNICIAN TEAM MEMBER BEFORE COMMITTING IS THE SAFEST APPROACH. Identify a hazardous area based on potential danger, taking into account materials involved, time of day, wind and weather conditions, location of the incident and degree of risk to unprotected personnel. Take immediate action to evacuate and/or rescue persons in critical danger, if possible, providing for safety of rescuers FIRST. The primary objective is to identify the type of materials involved in a situation, and the hazards presented, before formulating a plan of action. Look for labels, markers, DOT identification numbers, NFPA placards (diamond), or shipping papers, etc. Refer to pre-fire plans, and ask personnel at the scene for additional information (plant management, responsible party, truck drivers, and Fire department specialists). Use reference materials carried on apparatus and have Fire Control contact other sources for assistance in sizing up the problem (state agencies, fire department specialists, manufacturers of materials, etc.). **Initial Radio Report (IRR)** Especially for HAZMAT incidents, the IRR is never an affidavit of absolute accuracy. It is a quick snapshot of the incident's hazards that provides a "word picture" of what the IC can see from their command position when they first arrive on-scene. Accurate information on the product(s) involved and the overall scope of the incident will be given in the Follow-up report and subsequent CAN reports. The major differences between a structural fire and HAZMAT IRR is in the problem description. A HAZMAT incident should include problem description information on the: 1. Event trigger The Follow-up report for a HAZMAT incident should include the same information as a standard Blue Card Follow-up report that includes: - Result of a 360 (if performed) - Information on the size, location, and identity of material(s) involved - Accountability location. - Any immediate safety concerns. **Action Plan:** Based on the initial size-up and any information available, Command will formulate an action plan to deal with the situation. THE ACTION PLAN MUST PROVIDE FOR: - Safety of all fire department personnel - Evacuation of endangered area, if necessary - Control of situation - Identifying hazardous material (if possible) - Contacting resources to mitigate incident Most hazardous materials are intended to be maintained in a safe condition for handling and use through confinement in a container or protective system. The emergency is usually related to the material escaping from the protective container or system and creating a hazard on the exterior. The specific action plan must identify the method of hazard control and identify the resources necessary to accomplish this goal. It may be necessary to select one method over another due to the unavailability of a particular resource or to adopt a "holding action" to wait for needed equipment or supplies. Avoid committing personnel and equipment prematurely of "experimenting" with techniques and tactics. Many times, it is necessary to evacuate and wait for special equipment or technical help. **Control of Hazardous Area:** A hazardous material incident has two initial zones associated with the scene. They are the Limited Access Zone and the Evacuation Zone. **Limited Access Zone:** The limited Access Zone is the area in which personnel are potentially in immediate danger from the hazardous condition. The Limited Access Zone is where the Hot/Warm/Cold zones are established. This is established by Command and controlled by the Fire Department. Access to this area will be rigidly controlled and only personnel with proper protective equipment and an assigned activity will enter. All companies will remain intact in designated staging areas until assigned. Personnel will be assigned to monitor entry and exit of all personnel from the Limited Access Zone. The Limited Access Zones should be geographically described to all responding units, if possible and identified by yellow fire line tape. - Establish a safe perimeter around Hazardous area and identify with Hazard tape. - Request adequate assistance to maintain the perimeter. - Identify an entrance/exit point and inform Command of its location (this is not the same as the entrance/exit to the Hot Zone). - Collect/return accountability tags of all personnel entering/leaving the controlled area. **Evacuation Zone:** The Evacuation Zone is the larger area surrounding the Limited Access Zone in which a lesser degree or risk to personnel exists. All civilians would be removed from this area. The limits of the zone will be enforced by law enforcement based on distances and directions established by Command. NOTE: When toxic or irritant vapors are being carried downwind, it may be most effective to keep everyone indoors with windows and doors closed to prevent contact with the material (shelter in place), instead of evacuating the area. In these cases, Law Enforcement units will be assigned to patrol the area, assisting citizens in shutting down ventilation systems and evacuating persons with susceptibility to respiratory problems. In all cases, the responsibility for safety of all potentially endangered citizen's rests with Command/law enforcement. Once the Hazardous Materials Sector has been established, Hazmat personnel will define and establish the Hot/Warm/Cold Zone. These zones will remain in effect for the remainder of the incident. **Operations Level Control Options:** All Operations Level action(s) will take place in a defensive manner. At no time, will the Operations Level personnel make entry into a HAZMAT IDLH hazard zone (Hot Zone) requiring Level A or B PPE. There are certain incidents, where all known hazards are identified, where the Operations level can take offensive action to contain/control the release (i.e.; CO, CO2, fuel spills, etc.). Operations Level workers shall avoid making entry into the Warm zone of the incident unless they are working under the direct supervision of the Technician Level operator. Due to the limited amount of HAZMAT PPE, equipment and resources carried on an Operations Level apparatus, it will restrict the Operations Level to the following control/containment options: - Applying Class B Foams - Damming - Diking - Some plugging depending on the product(s) - If recommended by the ERG, a limited ability/expertise to shut off control/supply valves - All the above shall be performed in a defensive manner **Communications:** For some Hazmat incidents, face-to-face communications are preferred. If radio communications are used, be aware that subsequent arriving Hazmat teams/ Branches should operate on a separate channel. All HAZMAT incident communications will mirror the Blue Card hazard zone standard communication forms. The only changes made to the system is the verbiage we use to manage a HAZMAT incident (along with using plain English). The order model will be used on all incident communications. **Emergency Decontamination:** In addition to routine decontamination procedures, emergency decontamination procedures must be established. In an emergency, the primary concern is to prevent the loss of life or severe injury to site personnel. If a worker has been contaminated with an extremely toxic or corrosive material that could cause severe injury or loss of life, decontamination must be performed immediately. **Emergency Decontamination (Decon) Guidelines:** - Decon should be performed prior to treatment of victims to prevent causing cross contamination to the EMS workers. (Avoid making a bad situation worse). - During an emergency, provisions must also be made for protecting medical personnel and disposing of contaminated clothing and equipment. - Emergency decontamination (Decon) usually involves using a fire stream to rinse the contaminants off. - People undergoing emergency Decon should remove all clothing before proceeding to treatment areas. - If time permits attempt to protect the privacy of the victims whenever possible by hanging tarps in the Decon corridor. (See illustration) - If an emergency (due to a heat-related illness) develops while making a hot zone entry or being in a back-up position, protective clothing should be removed from the member as soon as possible to reduce the heat stress.  **Notifications:** The first arriving officer IC-1 should determine if a product release or spill (50 gal. or more) will require the notification of State Police to request an ERO. The first arriving Officer should also determine if the spill or release cannot be mitigated at the Operations level (Defensive operation) and notify AFD and request The Hazmat team. Both notifications should be requested through Dispatch. Battalion Commanders shall send a command page through IAmResponding® App stating: - Location, - Product (if known) - Size - Who is in Command? - Who has been notified-requested? - Evacuations-shelter in place. - Needs. Specific procedures: Due to the Infinite Combinations of Hazardous Materials and environmental factors likely involved in a Hazardous Materials incident. Always refer to the ERG, Chemtrec, Subject matter experts, or a technical level response team for the best course of action. Operations level teams will always remain defensive. **Dispatch:** For any known HAZMAT response, the Dispatch Center shall attempt to obtain all pertinent information from the person reporting a hazardous materials incident. This information should include: - Involved material(s) name, type, and/or class - Amount of material involved and the size of container(s) - Problem (leak, spill, fire, etc.) and its location - Number of people injured or exposed The dispatcher should remain on the phone with the caller to gain additional information after entering the call for dispatch. Any additional information shall be relayed to responding units after dispatch. If a responsible party (RP) with a knowledge of the hazardous situation generates the call, the RP should be instructed to meet the dispatched units at a safe location. It is imperative that all agencies that may have responsibility in handling the incident be contacted and an agency representative be requested to meet fire department personnel at the scene. The dispatch center should provide wind direction, speed, and humidity level when dispatching units to a HAZMAT incident. **Use of Non-Fire Department Personnel:** In some cases, it may be advantageous to use non-Fire Department personnel to evaluate hazards and perform certain functions within their area of expertise. When such personnel are outfitted with breathing apparatus, chemical suits, etc., they must be made aware of the functions, limitations and safety precautions necessary in their use. Fire Department personnel with the necessary protective equipment must closely monitor and/or accompany such personnel for safety. BE AWARE THAT COMMAND IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SAFETY OF ALL PERSONNEL INVOLVED IN ANY INCIDENT. References: - 29 CFR 1910.120 And 1926.65, Paragraph (Q): Emergency Response To Hazardous Substance Releases - OSHA 29 CFR 1910.134 - Blue Card IMS - NMAC Title 10 Public Safety And Law Enforcement - NM State Emergency Response Plan Chapter 20 Civil Emergency Preparedness And Disaster Relief - NM State Emergency Response Plan Part 2 Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Plan And Procedures Manual.