Book 37 Hazardous Materials Flashcards
Book 32 Haz Mat
Scene management is “key” element and most critical function performed by personnel of responding resources.
Effective use of personnel and coordinate activities of other responders is paramount.
The law enforcement agency having primary authority may enter a written agreement with other genres to assist in management.
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Book 32 Haz Mat
A hazardous material is any substance or material capable of posing an unreasonable risk to health, safety and property.
A hazardous material becomes a HAZARDOUS WASTE when it can no longer be used for the purpose it was originally intended.
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Book 32 Haz Mat
The Bureau of Emergency Services is principally focused on response efforts including discovery, notification,
evaluation and initiation of on-scene action, while the Bureau of Fire Prevention is involved in code enforcement and long-term preparedness measures which are implemented in coordination with local businesses.
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Book 32 Haz Mat
First Responder Operational:
At the operational level, a first responder to hazardous materials (FRO) responds to an incident in a defensive fashion within existing resources and capabilities to contain the release from a safe distance, to keep it from spreading, and to prevent exposures to nearby persons, property or environment.
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Book 32 Haz Mat
FD has full responsibility of Haz. Mat. incident except on freeway, CHP.
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Book 32 Haz Mat
The Department’s overall responsibility at hazardous materials incidents is described in three main areas:
Assessment of the incident.
Notification of the proper agencies.
Emergency measures to minimize the effect of the hazardous condition on people, the environment, and property.
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Book 32 Haz Mat
The Fire Department’s main responsibility centers on assessing the hazard, notifying the proper agency, and providing necessary interim measures to minimize the impact of a hazardous condition on people and the environment.
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Book 32 Haz Mat
Once the first responder has arrived on scene, one of the initial considerations must be to establish perimeters for the incident. These perimeters will designate the Initial Isolation Zone, evacuation boundaries and Safe Refuge Area(s) for holding civilians and Fire Department
personnel who have been exposed to a hazardous product.
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Book 32 Haz Mat
In every case, the first responder should use the initial isolation distance recommended in the ERG as the minimum for establishing the isolation area.
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Book 32 Haz Mat
First responders should make every effort to contain all civilians who have been exposed to a hazardous material. A Safe Refuge Area should be established within the outer-most perimeter of the isolation area to contain those people who have been exposed.
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Book 32 Haz Mat
The basic rules of hazardous materials response dictate an approach to an incident from upwind, uphill and upstream.
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Book 32 Haz Mat
Once on scene, place a short length of fire line tape or other suitable material on the apparatus antennae and keep a close watch on wind direction. All apparatus should be placed for ease of egress in the event of a change in wind direction.
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Book 32 Haz Mat
Rapid removal of the contaminant from the victim using water streams, i.e., hand lines or master stream appliances, is the single most important action associated with effective decontamination.
Prior to initiating decontamination efforts, first responders should triage patients by attempting to separate symptomatic from asymptomatic patients.
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Book 32 Haz Mat
Secondary Decontamination, which follows Emergency Decon, is a process that includes scrubbing with soap or other solution and thorough rinsing.
Technical Decontamination is the deliberate and precise cleansing using pools, special solutions, monitoring methods, and specially trained personnel.
Respiratory Decontamination involves moving the victim from the hazardous atmosphere, and may involve oxygen therapy.
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Book 32 Haz Mat
The best personal protective equipment for first responders engaged in decontamination is the Level B ensemble provided for every position on each fire suppression company and rescue ambulance.
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Book 32 Haz Mat
Approximately ___% or more of the contaminants will be removed by removing clothing.
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Book 32 Haz Mat
Where the hazardous material is unknown, exposure
victims are considered viable when they are able to control their movement (standing, sitting, or kneeling), or are able to respond verbally or physically.
Those victims who are unable to respond, or are unable to voluntarily control movement, may still be viable under certain conditions, e.g., the number of victims is low, they are not located in an enclosed space or the enclosed space can be adequately ventilated, and access to
decontamination and treatment is immediately available.
The existence of unprotected viable victims is a strong indication that the toxicity of the environment is below that which would impact a firefighter protected by full structural PPE and an SCBA for short exposures.
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Book 32 Haz Mat
To accomplish this, decontamination must be available prior to entry, and extraction teams shall use no more than
one 45-minute SCBA bottle prior to evaluation for exposure by Haz Mat personnel.
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Book 32 Haz Mat
Although structural PPE is not designed to be chemically resistant, it can provide a level of protection sufficient to allow firefighters to perform extraction of viable victims present in a chemical, biological and radiological environment.
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Book 32 Haz Mat
Leather footwear and gloves represent a grave risk of absorption and continuous exposure to the wearer. Consequently, turnout boots must be rubber, which prevents absorption and provides some measure of chemical resistance.
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Book 32 Haz Mat
The donning of structural PPE and SCBA, with the personal dosimeter, provides the primary means of protection from most forms of radiation, and is sufficient to prevent injury during extraction activities.
Alpha radiation represents a risk only if inhaled or ingested, and donning an SCBA eliminates this route of exposure.
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Book 32 Haz Mat
The first responders’ minimum PPE for extraction at a possible hazardous material event is structural turnouts, SCBA and personal dosimeter.
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Book 32 Haz Mat
Among the factors that impact the recommended distance are the time of day (day or night), and whether it is a small spill (200 liters or less, approximately equivalent to a 55-gallon drum) or large spill (greater than a 55-gallon drum).
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Book 32 Haz Mat
The DOT regulates the types of labels and placards that must be attached to hazardous materials transport containers and the vehicles that carry them. DOT placards are diamond-shaped signs (10 3/4 inches on each side) that are required to be affixed on each side and each end of vehicles carrying hazardous materials.
DOT labels are 4-inch diamonds (or smaller, for cylinders) affixed to non-bulk packages of hazardous materials.
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