Operational Level
Lesson 3 Presentation
Hazardous Materials for
First Responders, 3rd Ed.
Incident Priorities
• Life safety
• Incident stabilization
• Protection of property and the environment
Operational Level
3–2
Assessments to Make
Before Taking Action
•
•
•
•
•
•
Risk to rescuers
Ability of rescuers to protect themselves
Probability of rescue
Difficulty of rescue
Capabilities and resources of on-scene forces
Possibilities of explosions or sudden material
releases
• Available escape routes and safe havens
• Constraints of time and distance
Operational Level
3–3
Advantages of an Incident
Management or Incident
Command System
•
•
•
•
•
•
Common terminology
Modular organization
Integrated communication
Unified command structure
Consolidated action plans
Manageable span of control
Operational Level
3–4
Elements of the Incident
Management System (IMS)
• Command — The function of directing,
ordering, and controlling resources by virtue of
explicit legal, agency, or delegated authority
• Operations — The responsibility for the direct
management of all incident tactical activities,
the tactical priorities, and the safety and welfare
of the personnel working in the Operations
Section
(1 of 3)
Operational Level
3–5
Elements of the IMS
• Planning — The responsibility for gathering,
assimilating, analyzing, and processing
information needed for effective decisionmaking
– Examples: Resources Unit, Situation Unit,
Documentation Unit, Demobilization Unit
• Finance/Administration — The financial
services established at some, but not all,
incidents
– Examples: Time Unit, Procurement Unit,
Compensation Unit, Claims Unit, Cost Unit
Operational Level
3–6
(2 of 3)
Elements of the IMS
• Logistics
– The support mechanism for the organization;
provides services and support systems to all the
organizational components involved in the incident
– Support Branch — Medical, communications, and
food services
– Service Branch — Supplies, facilities, and ground
support
(3 of 3)
Operational Level
3–7
Command Staff Positions
• Incident commander (IC) — The officer at the
top of an incident chain of command and in
overall charge of the incident
• Safety Officer — The officer responsible for
monitoring and identifying hazardous and
unsafe situations and developing measures for
ensuring personnel safety
• Operations Section Chief — The officer
responsible for managing all operations that
directly affect the primary mission of eliminating
a problem incident
Operational Level
3–8
Incident Commander Functions
• Establishes the site safety plan
• Implements a site security and control plan to
limit the number of personnel operating in the
control zones
• Designates a safety officer
• Identifies the materials or conditions involved in
(1 of 2)
the incident
Operational Level
3–9
Incident Commander Functions
• Implements appropriate emergency operations
• Ensures that appropriate PPE is worn by all
emergency responders in restricted zones
• Establishes a decontamination plan and
operation
• Implements postincident emergency response
(2 of 2)
procedures
Operational Level
3–10
Safety Officer Functions
• Obtains a briefing from the IC
• Reviews Incident Action Plans (IAPs) for safety
issues
• Participates in the preparation and monitoring
of incident safety considerations
• Maintains communications with the IC, and
advises the IC of deviations form the incident
safety considerations and of any dangerous
situations
(1 of 2)
Operational Level
3–11
Safety Officer Functions
• Alters, suspends, or terminates any activity that
is judged to be unsafe
• Conducts safety briefings for entry team
personnel before entry
(2 of 2)
Operational Level
3–12
Items to be Included
in a Safety Briefing
• Hazardous materials incident
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Status of the incident
Hazards identified
Description of the site
Tasks to be performed
Expected duration of tasks
PPE requirements
Monitoring requirements
Notification of identified risks
Operational Level
3–13
(1 of 3)
Items to be Included
in a Safety Briefing
• Incidents involving potential criminal or terrorist
activities
– Being alert for secondary devices
– Not touching or moving any suspicious-looking
articles
– Not touching or entering any damp, wet, or oily
areas
– Wearing full protective clothing, including SCBA
– Limiting the number of personnel entering the
crime scene
(2 of 3)
Operational Level
3–14
Items to be Included
in a Safety Briefing
• Incidents involving potential criminal or terrorist
activities
–
–
–
–
–
Documenting all actions
Not picking up or taking any souvenirs
Photographing or videotaping anything suspicious
Not destroying any possible evidence
Seeking professional crime-scene assistance
(3 of 3)
Operational Level
3–15
Setting up a Command Post for a
Haz Mat Incident
• The command post —
– Must provide accessibility for the IC
– Will ideally allow the IC to observe the scene
– Needs to be readily identifiable
Note: The command post can be a predetermined
location, a conveniently located building, or a
radio-equipped vehicle located in a safe area
Operational Level
3–16
Establishing and Transferring
Command at a Haz Mat Incident
• The first person on the scene or the ranking
individual of the first company on the scene
assumes command.
• The IC of a hazardous materials incident must
have IMS training and be at the hazardous
materials Operational Level.
• Command is maintained by the arriving IC until
a higher ranking or more extensively trained
responder arrives on the scene and assumes
command.
(1 of 2)
Operational Level
3–17
Establishing and Transferring
Command at a Haz Mat Incident
• Command can only be transferred to someone
who is on scene.
• Command can be transferred over the radio if it
cannot tank place face to face.
• The person relinquishing command must
provide the person assuming command as
clear a picture of the situation as possible.
• There is only ONE IC.
(2 of 2)
Operational Level
3–18
Unified Command System
• All agencies that have a jurisdictional
responsibility at a multijurisdictional incident
contribute to the process by
–
–
–
–
–
Determining overall incident objectives
Selecting strategies
Accomplishing joint planning for tactical activities
Ensuring integrated tactical operations
Using all assigned resources effectively
Operational Level
3–19
IMS Haz Mat Positions
•
•
•
•
•
•
Hazardous Materials Group/Sector Supervisor
Entry Leader
Decontamination Leader
Site Access Control Leader
Assistant Safety Officer (Hazardous Materials)
Technical Specialist (Hazardous Materials
Reference/Science Technical Specialist)
• Safe Refuge Area Manager
(1 of 2)
Operational Level
3–20
IMS Haz Mat Positions
(2 of 2)
Operational Level
3–21
Roles and Guidelines of
Predetermined Procedures
• Provide a standard set of actions that are the
core of every hazardous material incident plan
• Must comply with any procedures set forth in
the local emergency response plan (LERP)
• Must incorporate specific regulatory
requirements, such as those required by OSHA
• Must be written down and required to be used
Operational Level
3–22
Requesting Additional
Resources at a Haz Mat Incident
• First responders must be able to communicate
the need for assistance through their
department’s communications equipment.
• Consult departmental SOPs.
Operational Level
3–23
Using Communications
Equipment Correctly
• Radio procedures
– Use simple English (clear text)
– Transmit only essential information when sending
information and orders
– Use appropriate channels to communicate with
both the IC and the telecommunicator
– Use appropriate number of channels for the size
and complexity of the incident
• Requesting additional help — Know what types
of additional help are available, according to
(1 of 3)
the LERP
Operational Level
3–24
Using Communications
Equipment Correctly
• Emergency radio traffic
– Make the urgency clear to the telecommunicator
– Wait while the telecommunicator gives an
attention tone, advises all other units to stand by,
and advises the caller to proceed with the
emergency message
– When the emergency communication is complete,
resume normal or routine radio traffic after the
telecommunicator notifies all units to do so
(2 of 3)
Operational Level
3–25
Using Communications
Equipment Correctly
• Evacuation signals
– Broadcast a radio message ordering evacuation
– Sound audible warning devices (sirens and air
horns) on the apparatus at the incident scene for
an extended period of time
– Broadcast the message several times
(3 of 3)
Operational Level
3–26
Haz Mat Level I Incident
• Is within the capabilities of the fire or
emergency services organization or other first
responders having jurisdiction
• Is the least serious incident and the easiest to
handle
• May pose a serious threat to life or property,
but not often
• May require limited evacuation needs
Example: Small amount of gasoline or diesel fuel
spilled from an automobile
Operational Level
3–27
Haz Mat Level II Incident
• Is beyond the capabilities of the first
responders on the scene and may be beyond
the capabilities of the first response
agency/organization having jurisdiction
• Requires the services of a formal haz mat
response team
Examples: Spill or leak requiring large-scale
evacuation, any major accident, spillage, or
overflow of flammable liquids
Operational Level
3–28
Haz Mat Level III Incident
• Requires resources from state/provincial
agencies, federal agencies, and/or private
industry
• Requires unified command
• Is the most serious of all incidents
• May require a large-scale evacuation
Example: Incidents that require an evacuation
extending across jurisdictional boundaries
Operational Level
3–29
Safety Procedures to be
used on Incident Scenes
• Accountability systems/tracking resources
• Buddy system
– Is a system of organizing personnel into work
groups in such a manner that each member has a
buddy or partner, so that nobody is working alone
– Provides rapid help in the event of an emergency
• Backup personnel
– Stand by with equipment ready to provide
assistance or rescue if needed
Operational Level
3–30
The Problem-Solving
Process for Haz Mat Incidents
• Analyzing the incident/Understanding the
problem
• Planning the response/Setting strategic goals:
Action Plans
• Implementing the plan: Tactics and tasks
• Evaluating progress/Looking back
Operational Level
3–31
Analyzing a Haz Mat Incident
• Survey the scene (size-up) to detect the
presence of hazardous materials, noting
surrounding conditions to take into effect.
–
–
–
–
Wind direction
Topography
Presence of victims
Available personnel
• Conduct hazard and risk assessment.
• Identify those clues that indicate the presence
of hazardous materials.
Operational Level
3–32
(1 of 2)
Analyzing a Haz Mat Incident
• Interpret and verify those clues with emergency
response agencies, shippers, and/or other
resources in order to determine which
hazardous material is involved
• Use resources such as the ERG to estimate the
size of the endangered area and the potential
harm posed by the material
• Use information gained from initial size-up to
determine the strategy and tactics to be applied
(2 of 2)
Operational Level
3–33
Common Elements
of Haz Mat Incidents
• Material or materials presenting hazards to
people, the environment, or property
• Container or containers that have failed or have
the potential to fail
• Exposure or potential exposure to people, the
environment, and/or property
Operational Level
3–34
Questions to ask When
Choosing an Appropriate Response
• How long will the harmful exposure exist?
• What has stressed or is stressing the
container?
• How will the stressed container and its material
behave?
• What are the harmful effects of the container
materials?
Operational Level
3–35
Elements of the General Hazardous
Material Behavior Model
•
•
•
•
•
•
Stress
Breach
Release
Dispersion/engulfment
Exposure/contact
Harm
Operational Level
3–36
Types of Stress
• Thermal — Excessive heat or cold causing
intolerable expansion, contraction, weakening,
or consumption of the container and its parts
• Chemical — Uncontrolled reactions/interactions
of contents in the container and the container
itself
• Mechanical — Physical application of energy
resulting in container/attachment damage
Operational Level
3–37
Ways in Which a
Container can Breach
• Disintegration — Container suffers a general
loss of integrity, such as a glass bottle
shattering or a grenade exploding
• Runaway cracking — Crack developing in a
container as a result of some type of damage,
which continues to grow rapidly
• Attachments (closures) open or break —
Attachments (such as discharge valves) fail,
open, or break off when subjected to stress
(1 of 2)
Operational Level
3–38
Ways in Which a
Container can Breach
• Puncture — Occurs as a result of mechanical
stress coming into contact with a container
• Split or tear — Failure of a welded seam on a
tank or drum or a ripped seam on a bag of
fertilizer
• Metal reduction — Caused by the corrosive
action of an acid on steel
(2 of 2)
Operational Level
3–39
Ways in Which Containers
can Release Contents
• Detonation — Instantaneous and explosive
release of stored chemical energy of a
hazardous material
• Violent rupture — Immediate release of
chemical or mechanical energy caused by
runaway cracks
(1 of 2)
Operational Level
3–40
Ways in Which Containers
can Release Contents
• Rapid relief — Fast release of a pressurized
hazardous material through properly operating
safety devices, damaged valves or
attachments, or holes in the container
• Spill/leak — Slow release of a hazardous
material under atmospheric or head pressure
through holes, rips, tears, or usual
openings/attachments
(2 of 2)
Operational Level
3–41
Hemispheric Dispersion Pattern
• Semicircular or dome-shaped pattern of the
airborne hazardous material that is still partially
in contact with the ground or water
Operational Level
3–42
Cloud Dispersion Pattern
• Ball-shaped pattern of the airborne hazardous
material where the material has collectively
risen above the ground or water
Operational Level
3–43
Plume Dispersion Pattern
• Irregularly shaped pattern of the airborne
hazardous material where wind and/or
topography influence the downrange course
from the point of release
Operational Level
3–44
Cone Dispersion Pattern
• Triangular-shaped pattern of the hazardous
material with a point source at the breach and a
wide base downrange
Operational Level
3–45
Stream Dispersion Pattern
• Surface-following pattern of liquid hazardous
material affected by gravity and topographical
contours
Operational Level
3–46
Pool Dispersion Pattern
• Three-dimensional, slow-flowing liquid
dispersion
Operational Level
3–47
Irregular Dispersion Pattern
• Irregular or indiscriminate deposit of the
hazardous material
Operational Level
3–48
Determining the Size of an
Endangered Area
• Resources
– Pre-incident surveys
– Computer software
– ERG
Operational Level
3–49
Types of Exposure
• People
• Environment
• Property
Operational Level
3–50
Timeframes Associated with
Exposure and Contact
• Immediate — Milliseconds, seconds
• Short-term — Minutes, hours
• Medium-term — Days, weeks, months
• Long-term — Years, generations
Operational Level
3–51
Standard Strategic Goals
of Haz Mat Incidents
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Isolation
Notification
Identification
Protection
Spill control
Leak control
Fire control
Recovery/termination
Operational Level
3–52
The Defensive Mode of Operation
• Provides confinement of the hazard to a given
area by performing diking, damming, or
diverting actions
• Is selected when one of the following
circumstances exists:
– The facility or LERP calls for it based on a preincident evaluation of the hazards present at the
site
– Responders have the training and equipment
necessary to confine the incident to the area of
origin
Operational Level
3–53
The Offensive Mode of Operation
• Is beyond the scope of responsibilities for
first responders
• Includes actions to control the incident such as
plugging a leak
Operational Level
3–54
The Nonintervention
Mode of Operation
• Allows the incident to run its course on its own
• Is selected when one or more of the following
circumstances exist:
– The facility or LERP calls for it based on a preincident evaluation of the hazards present at the
site
– The situation is clearly beyond the capabilities of
responders
– Explosions are imminent
– Serious container damage threatens a massive
release
Operational Level
3–55
Elements of an
Incident Action Plan (IAP)
• Strategies/incident
•
•
•
•
•
objectives
Current situation
summary
Resource assignment
and needs
Accomplishments
Hazard statement
Risk assessment
• Safety plan and
•
•
•
•
•
message
Protective measures
Current and projected
weather conditions
Status of injuries
Communications plan
Medical plan
Operational Level
3–56
Questions to be Asked Before
Committing to an IAP
• Are all emergency responders working as
•
•
•
•
•
•
members of a team?
Have all emergency responders been adequately
briefed on the IAP and the hazards of the situation?
Can reconnaissance be made visually?
Can approach be made from
upwind/uphill/upstream?
Can contact with the material be avoided?
Can the vapor cloud, mist, dust, or smoke spread?
Is the risk worth the benefit?
Operational Level
3–57
How to Determine
if an IAP is Effective
• The IC should receive favorable progress
reports from tactical and/or task supervisors.
• The incident should begin to stabilize.
Operational Level
3–58
Operational Level
Lesson 3 Presentation
Hazardous Materials for
First Responders, 3rd Ed.