Chapter 27: Hazardous Materials: Overview
1
Pre-Lecture
I. You Are the Fire Fighter
Time: 5 Minutes
Small Group Activity/Discussion
Use this activity to motivate students to learn the knowledge and skills needed to understand what a hazardous materials
incident is and how it is different from other types of incidents the fire fighter may be called upon to handle.
Purpose
To allow students an opportunity to explore the significance and concerns associated with hazardous materials.
Instructor Directions
1. Direct students to read the “You Are the Fire Fighter” scenario found in the beginning of Chapter 27.
2. You may assign students to a partner or a group. Direct them to review the discussion questions at the end of the scenario
and prepare a response to each question. Facilitate a class dialogue centered on the discussion questions.
3. You may also assign this as an individual activity and ask students to turn in their comments on a separate piece of
paper.
Lecture
I. Introduction
Time: 5 Minutes
Slides: 1-4
Lecture/Discussion
A. Hazardous materials are present in virtually every community.
B. Fire fighters may be called to incidents involving chemical spills, gas leaks, emergencies at industrial
plants, or railroad or truck crashes with resultant material leaks or spills.
C. These incidents threaten lives, property, and the environment.
II. What is a Hazardous Material?
Time: 5 Minutes
Slides: 5-8
Lecture/Discussion
A. U.S. Department of Transportation: “A material that poses an unreasonable risk to the health and safety of
operating emergency personnel, the public, and/or the environment if it is not properly controlled during
handling, storage, manufacture, processing, packaging, use and disposal, or transportation.”
Chapter 27: Hazardous Materials: Overview
2
B. Hazardous materials can be found anywhere. From hospitals to petrochemical plants, pure chemicals and
chemical mixtures are used to create millions of consumer products.
C. More than 80,000 chemicals are registered for use in commerce in the United States and an estimated 2,000
new ones are introduced annually.
D. The bulk of the new chemical substances are industrial chemicals, household cleaners, and lawn care
products.
E. Hazardous waste is the material that remains after a process or manufacturing plant has used some of the
material and it is no longer pure.
1. Hazardous waste can be just as dangerous as pure chemicals.
2. Hazardous waste can be mixtures of several chemicals, resulting in a hybrid substance.
3. It may be difficult to determine how such a substance will react when it is released or comes in contact
with other chemicals.
III. Levels of Training: Regulations and Standards
Time: 15 Minutes
Slides: 9-19
Lecture/Discussion
A. Regulations are issued and enforced by governmental bodies such as:
1. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
2. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
B. OSHA has issued the HAZWOPER regulations:
1. HAZWOPER is codified at 29 CFR 1910.120.
2. Fire departments are primarily concerned with subsection (q) Emergency Response.
3. HAZWOPER identifies five levels of training:
a. Awareness
b. Operations
c. Technician
d. Specialist
e. Hazardous materials incident commander
C. Awareness level
i. Enables fire fighters to recognize a potential hazardous materials emergency, isolate the area, and
call for assistance.
ii. Awareness-level responders take protective actions.
D. Operations level
1. Enables fire fighters to recognize a potential hazardous materials incident, isolate and deny entry to
other responders and the public, and take defensive actions such as shutting off valves and protecting
drains without having contact with the product.
2. Operations-level responders act in a defensive fashion.
E. Technician level
1. Fire fighters are trained to enter heavily contaminated areas using the highest levels of chemical
protection.
2. Hazardous materials technicians take offensive actions.
F. Specialist level
1. Fire fighters at this level receive more specialized training than a hazardous materials technician
2. The two levels are not very different.
3. The specialist level is not widely used in the fire service.
Chapter 27: Hazardous Materials: Overview
3
G. Hazardous materials incident commander (IC Hazardous Materials) level
1. Intended for those assuming command of a hazardous materials incident beyond the operations level.
2. Individuals trained as incident commanders should have at least operations level training as well as
additional training specific to commanding a hazardous materials incident.
H. EPA has issued an identical set of regulations because not all emergency responders are covered by federal
OSHA regulations.
1. EPA hazardous materials regulations are codified at 40 CFR 311.
2. These regulations apply to all emergency responders.
I. Standards are issued by nongovernmental entities and are generally consensus-based.
1. The National Fire Protection Association is one example of a body that issues consensus-based
standards.
J. Three NFPA standards address hazardous materials response:
1. NFPA 471, Recommended Practice for Responding to Hazardous Materials Incidents
2. NFPA 472, Standard for Professional Competence of Responders to Hazardous Materials Incidents
3. NFPA 473, Standard for Competencies for EMS Personnel Responding to Hazardous Materials
Incidents
4. The NFPA identifies three levels of training:
a. Awareness: same as HAZWOPER.
b. Operations: same as HAZWOPER.
c. Technician: same as HAZWOPER.
d. The NFPA standard does not include Specialist or IC levels.
5. Federal regulations require annual refresher training.
IV. Other Hazardous Materials Laws, Regulations, and Regulatory
Agencies
Time: 15 Minutes
Slides: 20-25
Lecture/Discussion
A. The U.S. Department of Transportation regulates the transportation of goods by highways, rail, air, and, in
some cases, marine transport.
B. The U.S. Environmental Protection Administration regulates worker safety as well as environmental
aspects of hazardous materials.
C. The Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) was the original driver for the HAZWOPER
regulations.
1. Laid the foundation that ultimately allowed local fire departments and the community at large to obtain
information on how and where hazardous materials were stored in their community.
D. The Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA) requires a business that handles
chemicals to report storage type, quantity, and storage methods to the fire department and the local
emergency planning committee.
E. Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs) gather and disseminate information about hazardous
materials to the public.
1. An LEPC is composed of members of industry, transportation, media, fire and police agencies, and the
public at large.
2. LEPCs collect material safety data sheets (MSDSs).
a. An MSDS is a detailed profile of a single chemical or mixture of chemicals, provided by the
manufacturer and/or supplier of a chemical.
b. An MSDS details a specific chemical’s properties and all pertinent information about it.
Chapter 27: Hazardous Materials: Overview
F.
4
Each state has a State Emergency Response Commission (SERC), which acts as the liaison between local
and state levels of authority.
V. Difference Between Hazardous Materials Incidents and Other
Emergencies
Time: 5 Minutes
Slides: 26-29
Lecture/Discussion
A. Fire fighters cannot approach a hazardous materials incident with the same mindset used for a structure fire.
B. Hazardous materials incidents are more complicated than fires.
1. Every fire will generate heat, smoke, flames, and toxic gases.
2. Turnout gear does not change radically from fire to fire.
3. The tactics and strategy change based on the type of building and degree of fire involvement, not
because the actual chemical nature of the fire changes.
C. The actions taken at hazardous materials incidents are largely dictated by the chemicals involved.
1. Response objectives, the choice of personal protective equipment, and the type of decontamination are
complicated decisions that depend on the chemical properties of the hazardous substance.
D. Hazardous materials emergencies move more slowly than structure fires.
1. It is critical to identify the material(s) involved before taking action.
VI. Planning a Response
Time: 5 Minutes
Slides: 30-32
Lecture/Discussion
A. The response to a hazardous materials incident begins long before the alarm sounds.
B. Response agencies should conduct incident planning activities at target hazards and other potential problem
areas throughout the jurisdiction.
1. Planning should focus on the real threats that exist in your community or adjacent communities you
could be assisting.
2. Once the threats have been identified, agencies must determine how they will respond.
C. Some agencies establish parameters that guide their response to particular hazardous material incidents.
1. These parameters are based on:
a. Nature of the chemical
b. Amount released
c. Type of occupancy involved
VII. Summary
Chapter 27: Hazardous Materials: Overview
5
Time: 5 Minutes
Slides: 33-34
Lecture/Discussion
A. Hazardous materials can be found almost everywhere.
1. Homes
2. Businesses
3. Manufacturing processes
4. Transportation
5. Illegal activities (e.g., drug labs)
B. When hazardous materials incidents occur it is imperative that fire fighters recognize the presence of a
chemical incident and understand what actions can be taken to handle the situation.
C. Hazardous materials incidents require that the fire fighter slow down and take actions based on the
properties of the hazardous materials involved.
Post-Lecture
I. Wrap-Up Activities
Time: 40 Minutes
Small Group Activity/Individual Activity/Discussion
A. Fire Fighter in Action
This activity is designed to assist the student in gaining a further understanding of hazardous materials. The activity
incorporates both critical thinking and the application of fire fighter knowledge.
Purpose
This activity allows students an opportunity to analyze a firefighting scenario and develop responses to critical thinking
questions.
Instructor Directions
1. Direct students to read the “Fire Fighter in Action” scenario located in the Wrap-Up section at the end of Chapter 27.
2. Direct students to read and individually answer the quiz questions at the end of the scenario. Allow approximately 10
minutes for this part of the activity. Facilitate a class review and dialogue of the answers, allowing students to correct
responses as needed. Use the answers noted below to assist in building this review. Allow approximately 10 minutes for
this part of the activity.
3. You may also assign these as individual activities and ask students to turn in their comments on a separate piece of
paper.
Answers to Multiple Choice Questions
1. Answer D: A hazardous material, as defined by the United States Department of Transportation (DOT), is a material that
poses an unreasonable risk to the health and safety of operating emergency personnel, the public, and/or the environment
if it is not properly controlled during handling, storage, manufacture, processing, packaging, use and disposal, or
transportation.
2. Answer A: Hazardous materials can be found anywhere. From hospitals to petrochemical plants, pure chemicals and
chemical mixtures are used to create millions of consumer products. Currently, more than 80,000 chemicals are
registered for use in commerce in the United States and an estimated 2,000 new ones are introduced annually. The bulk
of the new chemical substances are industrial chemicals, household cleaners, and lawn care products.
Chapter 27: Hazardous Materials: Overview
3.
4.
6
Answer E: At the technician level, fire fighters are trained to enter heavily contaminated areas using the highest levels of
chemical protection. This is the most aggressive level of training identified in NFPA 472. Hazardous materials
technicians take offensive actions. The specialist level is identified only in the HAZWOPER standard. This level
receives more specialized training than a hazardous materials technician.
Answer D: A critical distinction must be made between a hazardous materials incident and other emergencies, such as a
structure fire. Fire fighters cannot approach a hazardous materials incident with the same mindset used for a structure
fire. Structural firefighting employs a fairly basic strategy, determined during the size-up phase, with the ultimate goal of
extinguishing the fire. Hazardous materials incidents are more complicated. The strategies used must be thought out and
planned in advance.
B. Technology Resources
This activity requires students to have access to the Internet. This may be accomplished through personal access, employer
access, or through a local educational institution. Some community colleges, universities, or adult education centers may
have classrooms with Internet capability that will allow for this activity to be completed in class. Check out local access
points and encourage students to complete this activity as part of their ongoing reinforcement of firefighting knowledge and
skills.
Purpose
To provide students an opportunity to reinforce chapter material through use of online Internet activities.
Instructor Directions
1. Use the Internet and go to www.FireFighter.jbpub.com. Follow the directions on the web site to access the exercises for
Chapter 27.
2. Review the chapter activities and take note of desired or correct student responses.
3. As time allows, conduct an in-class review of the Internet activities and provide feedback to students as needed.
4. Be sure to check the web site before assigning these activities, as specific chapter-related activities may change from
time to time.
II. Lesson Review
Time: 15 Minutes
Discussion
Note: Facilitate the review of this lesson’s major topics using the review questions as direct questions or overhead transparencies.
Answers are found throughout this lesson plan.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
I.
J.
K.
L.
Where are hazardous materials found in communities today?
How does the U.S. Department of Transportation define a hazardous material?
What is hazardous waste and how does it differ from a hazardous material?
Which is more dangerous—a hazardous material or hazardous waste?
What federal agency or agencies regulate worker safety in relation to hazardous materials response?
What is HAZWOPER, and why should fire fighters know about it?
What is the difference between awareness-level and operations-level training?
What is the difference between operations-level and technician-level training?
What is the function of a Local Emergency Planning Committee?
What is a material safety data sheet, and how is it used?
What is the primary difference between a fire suppression operation and a hazardous materials response?
Why is preplanning a hazardous materials response a good idea?
Chapter 27: Hazardous Materials: Overview
7
III. Assignments
Time: 5 Minutes
Lecture
A. Advise students to review materials for a quiz (determine date/time)
B. Direct students to read the next chapter in Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills as listed in your syllabus (or reading
assignment sheet) to prepare for the next class session.