HazMat Bulletins Flashcards
Technical decon task force companies
Engine 6
Engine 26
Truck 4
Truck 15
What is HazMat 2?
Ready reserve HazMat unit for emergencies or special events
Who drives HazMat 2?
Members of Engine 12
Who uses the equipment off HazMat 2?
The squad assigned to the HazMat will use the equipment off HazMat 2.
Hazardous Materials company
HazMat 1
HazMat 2
HazMat Support Unit
3 basic principles of ALARA
Maximize distance
Minimize time
Maximize shielding
ALARA
As Low As Reasonably Achievable
Standard unit to measure radiological exposure
Roentgen (R)
APR stands for ___________ and protects rescuers from _________________
Air Purifying Respirator Protects from: Common WMD agents Alpha and beta particles Dust & debris
When can APR be used?
Non-IDLH environment
Agents have been identified
Concentration of agents allows for APR use
Dispatch for CO
1 Engine
1 Truck
1 BLS or ALS
CHEMTREC
Chemical Transportation Emergency Center
Decon for Nuclear/Radiological
Incident specific
Take nasal swab first
Wet down first, then remove clothing
Contain run-off if possible
Decon for biological agents
May not be needed because the agents are so slow acting
Keep victims on scene until agent is ID’d
Wet first, then remove clothing
Decon for chemical agents
Begin ASAP
Remove clothing first (removes 80% of contaminants)
In a radiological emergency, if initial responders don’t have dosimeters, how long can they conduct life-saving operations?
15 minutes
In a radiological emergency, where should the control line be established?
2x background radiation or
50microR/hr
3 zones for radiological incident
Cold- Buffer to keep civilians out
Warm- Contains decon area
Hot- Requires highest level of PPE and training
Natural gas facts
Not poisonous
Lighter than air
High radiant heat when burning
Ignition point of natural gas
1100-1200 degrees
Radiological dosimetry guidelines
At least one member of each team should have a dosimeter
Dosimeter worn outside PPE, on core
Should be read and recorded every 15 minutes
Use dosimeter tracking form
At _____________ % LEL what actions shall be taken?
10%
SCBA
Evacuate building
Call gas company
Staging and initial actions for gas leak
1st engine-200’ away
Truck- 200’ away. Meter for gas LEL and CO PPM
2nd engine- 2 blocks away from side C
3rd Engine- 2 blocks away, able to take A or C
When can a truck company ventilate on a CO leak?
After locating and confirming location of the leak
Where is the Andrews underground fuel transport line?
On Anacostia River just below South Capitol St. bridge to Andrews AFB. Runs parallel to Suitland Parkway
What is PCB and how is it labeled?
Polychlorinated biphenyls
Some transformers contain PCBs.
Light blue label <50ppm
No label/yellow label >50ppm
Breathing protection required for asbestos material?
SCBA
How many people are needed to set up and run the decon corridor?
4 people to set up
7 people to decon
CBRN
Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear
Hard target vs Soft target
Hard- Staffed by trained personnel
Soft- Little or no security. Possibility of extensive casualties
Actions for gas burning outside
Don’t extinguish fire, protect exposures
Actions for gas leak outside
Clear area around leak
Eliminate ignition sources
Check surrounding buildings
Actions for gas leak/burning inside
Shut off gas
Don’t operate electrical switches
SCBA for CO
35ppm
Request HazMat
Incident terminated at <8ppm
What are the three mass decon task forces?
- Engine 4 Truck 9
- Engine 8 Truck 7
- Engine 25 Truck 16
What units make up a mass decon task force?
1 Engine
1 Truck
Decon trailer (Located at the assigned engine company’s house)
Van
Staging for WMD
All units except first due engine stage at one location 2 blocks away uphill and upwind
If explosives are involved, stage 1500’ away
Master stream decon
2 engines 15’ apart and ladder pipe above.
2-1/2” fog nozzles with hydrant pressure only
Covered wagon decon
2 engines 12’ apart and ladder pipe above
Three ropes strung between engines with salvage covers hung to provide privacy
Improvised decon ideas
Gated wye with pipe connected to 2-1/2” opening on hydrant
Sprinkler heads in parking garages
What information should be relayed to CHEMTREC
Name of product Nature of problem Name & number of caller Location Shipper/Manufacturer Container type Rail car/Track # Carrier name Consignee Local conditions and weather Placard symbol
DCFD responsibilities in WMD incident
Rescue Victim decon EMS Initial perimeter control Evacuation Product identification Fire suppression
What is the detection capability of the HazMat unit?
Biological- Very basic, agent specific
Nuclear/Radiological
Chemical- Several devices…
These limitations are why we use victims’ symptoms to identify agents
What does M256A1 detector detect?
How long does it take?
Nerve
Blood
Blister
15 min
WMD Table 1
Signs and symptoms for:
Nerve, blister, vesicant, blood, choking agents
WMD Table 2
Interview for victims for:
Nerve, blister, choking, blood, pepper
Respiratory protection in WMD incident
SCBA
If not possible, APR only after agents have been identified and APR will be effective.
And only in the warm zone
And only if we absolutely can’t use SCBA
2 general principles of firefighting gear’s effectiveness in chemical warfare agants
Allows sufficient protection in hot zone of nerve agent attack for 30min
Self-taped turnout gear provides sufficient protection from unknown nerve agent for 3 min–2 min if blister agent.
General decon procedure for WMD
Flush/shower for 2-3 minutes
Contain runoff if possible
Purpose of decon in WMD attack
Limit further exposure and secondary contamination
Speed is more important than method
First due engine WMD positioning
Approach from uphill and upwind
Stop 500’ away from first casualty or damage
Full PPE
Size-up for WMD incident
Additional resources Number of victims Symptoms Witness/LEO info Collapse? Recommendations for ingress/egress Isolate area and deny entry
What other agency can we call to assist with decon?
National Medical Response Team
3 types of higher explosives
Depends on strength of insult needed to detonate
Primary- spark, flame, touch
Secondary- Greater than primary
Tertiary- Large insult needed
3 Effects of detonated explosives
Blast pressure- Damage to internal organs
Fragmentation- Can travel 3x faster than a bullet
Thermal- Up to 3650deg
4 components of all IEDs
Power supply
Initiator
Explosives
Switch
_____% of victims killed in an intentional explosion that are killed immediately
90%
3 types of blast injuries
Pressure
Flying debris
Victim thrown
What is the most life-threatening blast injury?
Lungs
Dispatch for PRE detonation bombing incident
1 Engine 1 Truck HazMat 1 Squad SpOps BC 1 EMS unit 1 EMS Captain
Dispatched units for POST detonation at bombing incident
Cave-in unit task force HazMat task force Mass casualty support group EMS task force (3 amb, 2 medic, 1 EMS Cap) Safety Officer
Size-up of first arriving unit for POST detonation bombing incident
First due engine stop 500' away, give size-up from this location Obvious rescues Number of victims Fire? Collapse? Info from LEO Recommendations for ingress/egress Evacuation needs Perimeter control needs
If a complete bomb sweep is not underway after __________ min, the IC will consider doing what?
15 minutes
Consider removing rescuers to a safe location until cleared by EOD
How is the “initial stage” of a radiological incident defined
Rescue of live victims
Establishing a control line, isolating and evacuating the area
Natural background radiation in DC area
5-20 microR/hr
Staging for radiological emergency
Approach from uphill & upwind
Stage 300’ away
Maximum total body radiation dose limits
5R-All
10R-Major property
25R-Lifesaving/protection of large populations
>25R- Volunteer only
Maximum ZONE limits for radiological incident WITH life safety concern
Cold- 2mR/hr
Warm- 2mR-10R/hr
Hot- over 10R/hr
Absolute turn back 200R/hr
2 cases where there will be more than one gas shut-off stopcock on a building
When two or more meters are used
Distance where the service pipe passes through the building wall and the gas meter exceeds 20’
Fire valve
Raised operating step inside 2-1/2” diameter pipe that projects 12” above grade
Remove cap and turn lug 1/4 clockwise
What are the pressures in Washington gas lines?
Transmission lines 60-300psi
Distribution lines 1/5-60psi
Low pressure 1/5-1/4psi
Where is the Washington Gas fueling station and what’s the pressure?
1240 12th St SE
3000psi
Curb stopcock
Between curb and property line
In buildings with high pressure supply
One quarter turn (stopcock)
Curb gate valve
Larger buildings
Between curb and property line
Turn clockwise until resistance (6-20 turns)
Dispatch for gas leak
3 Engines
1 Truck
Prior to ventilating buildings with >10% LEL, what must the BFC do?
Establish collapse zones
Request Wash gas and PEPCO
Assign rapid intervention group
Consider requesting additional resources such as HazMat and squads to assist in metering
When directed by the incident commander, the second due engine on a gas leak may be utilized to:
Assist with: Atmospheric monitoring Evacuate occupants Control utilities Patient care Check exposures and surrounding areas
Third due engine on a gas leak will serve as ___________ unless otherwise ordered by the IC
Rapid intervention company
What two tasks shall be completed simultaneously upon arrival of the first unit on scene of a CO leak?
Initial entry for search and evacuation
Interview the reporting party
What are the procedures for units with CO meters
Place meter in service outside building in fresh air
adjust thermostats or controls so that appliances are operating
CO is lighter than air, check top floors
Shut off power & close supply valves
Notify gas company
What pressure does the Andrews AFB line run and how often?
300psi while being pumped
85psi when not being used
17-20 hours/week
Health effects of jet fuel (JP/8)
Moderately irritating to skin
Inhalation of vapor/mist can cause mild irritation
High concentration may result in CNS depression, headache, dizziness, nausea
Inhalation of high levels of mist may result in chemical pneumonitis
How many shut-offs are there along the Andrews pipeline?
3
HazMat task force units
Engine 6 Truck 4
Engine 12
Engine 26 Truck 15
Secondary devices usually detonate within ___________ minutes of the primary explosion
20 min
The incubation period for anthrax
1-5 days
The incubation period for smallpox
7-17 days
