Gordon Graham
Category: Fire Service
Gordon Graham here with Today’s Tip from Lexipol. Today’s Tip is for my friends in the fire service, and it’s about hazardous materials, or hazmat, incidents.
If you’re a firefighter, at some point you’re bound to respond to a hazmat incident. When we think of hazmat, we picture leaking railcars, colorful vapors, and responders in puffy plastic suits. But not all hazmat jobs look like that. In fact, most of them don’t.
If you run into an incident where you expect hazardous materials to be involved, slow down.
Consider the community where you serve. You have roadways and maybe railways in town. You might also have chemical storage and manufacturing facilities. But hazmat incidents can occur where you least expect them.
For example, if you have hardware stores, grocery stores, or houses in your district, you have hazmat risks, and you need to be prepared to handle the first stage of an incident. Something as simple as mixing household cleaning products or improper handling of consumer-grade chemicals can release dangerous gases or cause a sudden, rapidly growing fire.
At a minimum, every fire apparatus should be equipped with an Emergency Response Guidebook, or ERG. These little yellow books are handy for incidents where the product can be identified by name or number. The ERG provides the basic information you need to stay safe. It tells you what chemicals you’re dealing with, what health hazards are associated with them, and initial firefighting actions.
If your department’s hazmat capabilities are limited, you should have a policy that includes contacting your local hazmat team for assistance.
So, folks, if you run into an incident where you expect hazardous materials to be involved, slow down. Even if you must make a rescue, take the time to protect yourself and your crew so you don’t become victims yourselves. Remember that any given call has the potential to be a hazmat incident. Make sure you’re aware and ready to handle situations within your abilities and scope.
And that’s Today’s Tip from Lexipol. Until next time, Gordon Graham signing off.
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