Hazardous Materials for First Responders (2nd Edition)
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Study Notes
HazMat for First Responders (2nd Edition)
Chapter 6 - Command, Safety, and Scene Control
Test Review
Local emergency planning committees must address areas such as HazMat facilities, transportation
routes, methods/procedures for handling HazMat incidents, methods to warn people at risk, HazMat
equipment/information resources, evacuation plans, training of first responders, and exercising the
LERP.
Canadian emergency plans are referred to as emergency measures organization (EMO) plans.
Initial information received about an incident is called external communication, while information
received after responders arrive on scene is called internal communication.
External communications begin with gathering information during pre-incident planning on HazMats
present.
The telephone is the most commonly used medium for reporting an emergency.
Information gathered by a dispatcher about an incident should include: location of incident, name,
phone, and location of caller, identity of substance, approximate quantity, weather conditions,
number/proximity of persons threatened, brief description of events leading to and existing threats,
summary of control actions, type of assistance needed, and call-back info.
Dispatchers should be included in first responder training sessions/exercises.
"Internal Communication" begins when emergency personnel arrive on scene.
Dispatcher's responsibilities during an incident include: establishing internal or external clear-line
communications with technical advisors, notifying mutual aid agencies, activating departmental
procedures, and advising next-in-line supervisors and chief officers of incident.
Dispatchers must relay ALL information received without filtering, editing, deleting, or changing
information.
On scene command personnel should talk directly to technical advisors when possible.
CHEMTREC and CANUTEC should be used to provide information in the early stages of an
incident.
An awareness level first responder's mission is to implement the jurisdiction's SOPs.
Standard awareness level procedures include: recognizing HazMat is present, calling for appropriate
help, securing the area, surveying the incident from a safe distance, and determining the appropriate
actions as recommended by the ERG.
In addition to awareness level tasks, operations level first responders must define the problem,
design a defense, and direct execution of the IAP.
"Defining the Problem" at an incident includes: surveying condition of containers, estimating
nature/extent of release, observing conditions, gathering/sharing info, predicting incident's future
course, and estimating harm.
"Designing a Defense" includes: establishing defensive goals, identifying defensive tactical options,
ensuring appropriateness of training/PPE of personnel to take action, and preparing for emergency
decon.
"Direct Execution of the IAP" includes: establishing protective zones, activating IMS system, using
PPE, carrying out defensive actions, evaulating/reporting incident progress, and performing
emergency decon.
Required aspects of command structure for IMS includes: common terminology, modular
organization, integrated communication, and a unified command structure.
Either the first person on the scene or the ranking individual of the first company on the scene should
assume command.
The Incident Commander (IC) is responsible for the development, implementation, and
documentation of the IAP.
The IC is responsible for establishing the site safety plan, implementing site security/control zones,
designating a safety officer, identifying materials/conditions involved, implementing emergency
operations, ensuring PPE is worn, and establishing decon plan and operation.
The safety officer is responsible for maintaining communications with IC, identifying hazardous
situations, participation in incident planning, reviewing IAPs for safety, and identifying/correcting
unsafe situations.
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Hazardous Materials for First Responders (2nd Edition)
Study Notes
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Size-up is the mental process of considering all available factors that will immediately affect the
incident during the course of operation, also called Hazard Assessment.
 Hazard assessment is a continual evaluation that starts with pre-incident planning and continues
through the course of the incident.
 Hazards assessment info gathered at the time of alarm includes: nature/location of call, equipment
responding, time of day, and weather.
 Additional info gathered when performing size-up includes: evaluating response route, reviewing
plans/sketches, noting arrival times of other units, noting exposure types/distances, reviewing
hydrant/water supplies, making preliminary plans for apparatus placement, securing additional info
from dispatch, and deciding if additional units are needed.
 Conditions on scene that must be evaluated include life hazards, materials involved, path of
fire/material travel, and actions already taken.
 The three strategic goals in order of priority are life safety, environmental protection, and property
conservation.
Modes of Operation
Mode
Description
 Responders take no direct actions
 Mode is selected when one or more of the following is present:
Facility or LERP calls for it based on pre-incident evaluation
Situation is already beyond capabilities of responders
Explosions are imminent
Serious container damage threatens mass release
Non-Intervention
 When operating in non-intervention mode, first responders should:
Withdraw to safe distance
Report scene conditions to dispatch
Establish scene control and initiate IMS
Initiate evacuation
Call for additional resources
 Responders seek to confine emergency to a given area without directly contacting
materials
 Defensive mode is selected when one or more of the following are present:
Facility or LERP calls for it based on pre-incident evaluation
Responders have training/equipment to confine incident to area of origin
 When operating in defensive mode, first responders should:
Defensive
Report scene conditions to dispatch
Establish scene control and initiate IMS
Establish/indicate zone boundaries
Commence evacuation if necessary
Control material spread by diverting and constructing dikes/dams to confine
Control ignition sources
Call for additional resources
 Responders take aggressive, direct action on the material, container, or equipment
involved
Offensive
 Offensive actions are beyond the scope of first responders and must be conducted by
highly trained HazMat personnel
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Study Notes
HazMat Incident Levels (Criteria & Examples)
 Extent of municipal, county, state, and federal involvement
Criteria for
 Level of expertise required
Determining
 Extent of evacuation
Level
 Extent of injury/death
 Small fuel spill from automobile
 Leak from natural gas line on consumer side of meter
Level I
 Broken containers of "consumer commodity" containers such as paints, thinners, bleach,
Incident
swimming pool chemicals, and fertilizers (owner normally responsible for cleanup)
Response Actions
 Chemical protective clothing used
 Diking and confining within contaminated areas
 Plugging/patching operations
 Sampling/testing unknown substances
 Various levels of decon performed
Examples
Level II
 Spill/leak that causes wide-spread evacuation
Incident
 Major accidents, spillage, or overflows of flammable liquids
 Spill/leak of unknown chemicals
 Extremely Hazardous Substances (EHS) involved
 Underground pipeline rupture
 Fire posing a BLEVE hazard
 Leaking, overturned tanker
Response Actions
 Specialists from industry/governmental agencies
 Sophisticated sampling/monitoring equipment
 Specialized leak/spill control
Level III
 Large scale decon
Incident
Examples
 Evacuation extending across jurisdictional boundaries
 Incidents beyond control of local HazMat response team
 Incidents that activate federal response system
 For safety purposes, all responders should be briefed on the immediate goal, who performs which
task, operation completion time, how to call for help, escape routes, material's effects, and
signs/symptoms of exposure.
 Precautions to maximize safety include: avoid contact with vapor, mist, dust, and smoke, maintain
safe distance (stay outside hot zone), use available shielding, and anticipate changes such as weather
and delayed material reactions.
 Factors that have bearing on the IAP include: weather, topography, water, occupancies, community
transport systems, utilities, and zero energy state (locking down power/energy sources).
 Container integrity, safety devices, leaking, and stability should be observed when looking for
changes in container stability.
Examples of Ignition Sources
Electric motors,
Internal combustion
Lighting Fuel-powered
switches, and
Open/pilot flames
engines
equipment equipment
controllers
Electrostatic/frictional Heated metal
Smoking Fuses, flares,
Radios, hand lights,
sparks
surfaces
materials torpedoes, lanterns pagers, PASS devices
 The process for establishing the initial isolation distance at a HazMat incident is covered in the ERG
(green-bordered pages) and is size-related (small or large).
 To use the ERG, the material must be identified.
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Study Notes
Initial Isolation Zone
Establishing Zone
Evacuee Handling
Station responder at approaches/refuse entry
 Decon evacuees if necessary
Activate local alarm devices
 Record evacuees' identities
Reroute traffic away from scene
 Perform triage/treatment
Put up physical barriers (i.e.-tape, rope, barricades)
NOTE: performing triage/treatment of evacuees
Transmit warnings over PA systems
can reduce false claims of injury later.
Broadcast alert via media
Stage responders adequate distance away
 The protective action zone is the area immediately adjacent to and downwind from the initial
isolation zone.
 Options for protective actions include: evacuation, protection-in-place, or combination of both.
Decision-Making Factors of Protective Actions
Material Considerations Toxicity, Quantity, Rate of Release, Possibility of Control, Direction of Spread
Environmental
Wind Direction/Velocity, Temperature, Humidity, Precipitation, Topography
Conditions
Population Density, Proximity, Warning/Notification Systems, Methods of
Population at Risk
Transport, Ability to Control, Special Needs
 Evacuate means to move all people from a threatened area to a safer place.
 Protection-in-place means to direct people to go quickly inside a building and to remain inside until
the danger passes.
 Factors affecting protection-in-place include: material spreading to rapidly, material too toxic,
vapors heavier than air (people in high-rise), and unable to initiate evacuation (i.e.-health care,
detention facility).
 Vehicles are NOT as effective as protection-in-place as buildings.
IFSTAs Acronym for Establishing Scene Control
Identify material name/ID number
Find corresponding name/ID number in green ERG pages
Size the spill (by container/amount)
Take the distance from Table of Initial Isolation and Protective Distance in ERG
Apply appropriate protective action
seek additional information in ERG
 Alternative names for "Hot" zones include: Restricted Zone, Exclusion Zone, and Red Zone.
 Alternative names for "Warm" zones include: Contamination Reduction Zone, Limited Access
Zone, and Yellow Zone.
 Alternative names for "Cold" zones include: Support Zone and Green Zone.
Scene Control Zones
 Area surrounding incident that is contaminated
 Area exposed to gases, vapors, mists, dusts, and runoff of material
Hot Zone
 Extends far enough to prevent people outside the zone from suffering ill efects
 Work inside this zone is generally limited to HazMat Technicians (Intervention Team)
 Area abutting the hot zone and extending to cold zone
 Considered safe to enter without "special" protective clothing
 Zone is used to support workers in hot zone
Warm Zone
 Decon takes place in this zone (decon corridor)
 Forward access point and safe haven located in this zone
 HazMat Control Officer is located in this zone
 Encompasses the warm zone and is used to carry out all other support functions
 Command post, staging area, and triage/treatment is in this zone
Cold Zone
 Safety officer, timekeeper, backup team, and equipment cache in this zone
 A command post can be a predetermined location, a conveniently located building, or a radioequipped vehicle in the cold zone.
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Hazardous Materials for First Responders (2nd Edition)
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Study Notes
It is NOT absolutely necessary that the command post be able to observe the scene, however, it is
ideal.
A common identifier of a command post is a green flashing light.
The staging area should be located in the cold zone where occupants cannot interfere with
operations.
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