1810 Ch 10 PowerPoint.pptx

Strategic and Tactical
Considerations on the Fireground
4th Edition
Chapter 10 — Technical Operations

Learning Objectives (1 of 4)
10.1 Discuss the initial concerns at a hazardous materials
incident.
10.2 Set up initial exclusion zones at a suspected hazardous
materials incident.
10.3 Identify the difference between evacuation and protecting
in place.
10.4 Discuss types of storage tanks at tank farms and refineries.

10.5 Discuss fire extinguishment concerns at tank farms and
refineries.
10.6 Discuss boilover, slopover, and frothover at a burning
storage tank.
10.7 Discuss the weapons of terrorism.
10.8 Discuss the actions of the first-arriving officer at a
suspected terrorism event.

10.9 Understand the stages of response at a suspected or
confirmed terrorism event.
10.10 Discuss strategic considerations if confronted with a dirty
bomb incident.
10.11 Describe the protection provided by a firefighter’s
personal protective gear at a suspected dirty bomb incident.
10.12 Discuss radiation exposure considerations for firefighters
at dirty bomb incidents.

10.13 Discuss strategic considerations at an incident involving a
clandestine drug lab.
10.14 Discuss the problems associated with natural disasters.
10.15 Discuss the strategic considerations needed for a natural
disaster incident.

Hazardous Materials and the Initial
Responder (1 of 27)
‣ Questions to ask students:
‣ What is CHEMTREC, and how can it assist the fire service
at a hazardous materials incident?
‣ What factors must be considered when arriving at a fire
incident that involves hazardous materials?

Responder (2 of 27)
‣ Hazardous materials (hazmat) incidents require a more
cautious and deliberate size-up than most incident scenes.
‣ Hazmat scenes can expose firefighters to uncontrolled
situations.
‣ They may present a more complex set of occupational health
and safety concerns than traditional structural firefighting.

Responder (3 of 27)
‣ Initial concerns
‣ Comprehensive size-up
‣ Cautious approach
‣ Define the problem.
‣ Identify the product (if possible).

Responder (4 of 27)
‣ Globally Harmonized System
‣ Worldwide standardized approach to hazard
communication
‣ Different methods than Safety Data Sheets (SDS)
‣ Designed to provide clear, consistent label messages to
chemical handlers and users

Responder (5 of 27)
‣ Hazardous materials indicators
‣ Occupancy
‣ Facilities are required to have Material Safety Data
Sheets (MSDS) on the premises for use by responding
firefighters.

Responder (6 of 27)
‣ The NFPA requires a 704 marking system at facilities storing
hazmat.
‣ The symbol is diamond shaped and divided into four color-
coded quadrants.
‣ Each quadrant carries a number from 0 to 4, indicating the
degree of hazard.
‣ A hazard of 4 is most severe, 0 least severe.

Responder (7 of 27)
‣ Transportation
‣ Placards (DOT)
‣ UN placarding
‣ Caution against improper placarding
‣ CHEMTREC (1-800-424-9300)

Responder (8 of 27)
‣ Fixed facilities
‣ Materials stored in tanks will be marked with NFPA 704
identification numbers.
‣ Fire protection systems
‣ Industrial fire brigades
‣ Plant managers
‣ Laboratories
‣ Hospitals
‣ Research facilities
‣ Industrial plants

Responder (9 of 27)
‣ Hazardous materials scene conditions
‣ Each incident must be handled on its own merits. An
overview of the scene, combined with a rational
consideration of potential problems, must be made.
‣ What do we see?
‣ What do we know?
‣ What is actually involved?
‣ What type of containers are involved?
‣ What is their condition?
‣ What are the properties of the involved material?
‣ What are the potential hazards?

Responder (10 of 27)
‣ Could there be a synergistic effect between the involved
products?
‣ Is there a spill or fire involved?
‣ What life hazard exists?
‣ Where is the problem located?
‣ Is it an urban or rural setting?
‣ What decisions need to be made on evacuation?

‣ On suspected hazmat responses, Dispatch should transmit
wind direction and speed as noted by the National
Weather Service or local weather stations.
‣ This data will prepare initial responders to approach the
site from an upwind location.

‣ Setting up zones
‣ The immediate danger area would be the hot zone. This is
an exclusion area and should be considered contaminated.
‣ The warm zone is adjacent to the hot zone and allows an
area for decontamination of personnel and equipment.
‣ The cold zone is the outermost area, where support
personnel and equipment are located. Contaminated
personnel are not permitted in this zone.

‣ Fire conditions
‣ The presence of hazmat at a fire compounds an already
dangerous situation. Several factors must be considered.
‣ Is the product readily identifiable and can the immediate
dangers be assessed?
‣ In what type of vessel is the product contained?
‣ Is fire impinging on other vessels, compounding the
situation?

‣ Fire conditions
‣ Is a boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion (BLEVE) a
possibility?
‣ Can an attack on the fire or the immediate exposures be
implemented?

‣ Strategic modes for hazardous materials
‣ Offensive—An aggressive attack to either extinguish a fire,
stop a leak, or control a spill.
‣ Defensive—A holding action where a defensive stand is
taken. Firefighters are kept a safe distance from the threat
of exposure to the product or potential explosion.

‣ Transitional—A combination of the offensive and defensive
modes:
‣ Offensive/defensive—Making an aggressive attack with
either hose-lines or foam lines to rescue someone
trapped, or attempting a quick shutdown of valves to
minimize or mitigate the problem. Once the rescues are
accomplished or the valves are shut down, a defensive
attack is then initiated.

‣ Transitional
‣ Defensive/offensive—An initial holding action is utilized
until a fire reaches a state where it can be controlled,
or sufficient resources arrive, i.e. foam, hazmat units,
etc.
‣ Nonintervention—This mode means that no action will be
taken.

‣ Safety
‣ Safety dictates that we approach these incidents in a
cautious manner.
‣ The tendency to rush in and solve the problem as quickly
as possible must be resisted.
‣ First responders must not attempt to mitigate an incident
if they are not qualified.

‣ Safety
‣ Hazmat incidents require that an Assistant Safety Officer
(ASO) be assigned.
‣ When hazmat personnel are operating in a hot zone, there
needs to be a Rapid Intervention Crew in place in the
warm zone.
‣ The Rapid Intervention Crew needs to be equipped with at
least the same level of protection as those operating in the
hot zone.

‣ Incident management system
‣ Federal law mandates utilization of an incident
management system at a hazmat incident.
‣ The initial Incident Commander should set up a Command
Post in the cold zone and assume Command.

‣ Assistance at the scene
‣ Request assistance from federal, state, local, and private
agencies that can help at the incident.
‣ This request for assistance could include a representative
from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to
assist in the cleanup efforts.

‣ Evacuate or protect in place
‣ Evacuation means removing everyone from the area of
concern to a safe location. This method can be employed if
it can be controlled and there is sufficient time and
resources to accomplish it.
‣ In-place protection means moving or keeping people
indoors in the affected area and having them remain there
until the danger passes.
‣ This method is used when an evacuation cannot be
performed or when there would be a greater risk involved
in removing the people rather than in letting them remain.

‣ Decontamination
‣ Civilians and firefighters exposed to harmful products will
need to be decontaminated.
‣ Gross decontamination is typically a washing down of an
individual with either a hand-held hose-line or a water
spray through which people can walk.
‣ Secondary decontamination can then be accomplished by
having those involved remove their clothing.
‣ The removal of a person’s clothing will typically remove 80
percent of the contamination.

‣ Hazardous materials task forces
‣ Hazardous materials task forces (HMTFs) have been
created to respond to incidents involving hazmat.
‣ Typically, their responsibility includes handling the hazmat
aspects at an incident, including decontamination.
‣ Before the HMTF is deployed, there needs to be an
Incident Action Plan (IAP) in place.

‣ Size-up factors for hazardous materials incidents
‣ Water
‣ Area
‣ Life hazard
‣ Location, extent
‣ Apparatus, personnel
‣ Construction/collapse
‣ Exposures
‣ Weather

‣ Size-up factors for hazardous materials incidents
‣ Auxiliary appliances
‣ Special matters
‣ Height
‣ Occupancy
‣ Time

‣ Considerations for hazardous materials incidents
‣ Strategic goals and tactical priorities for an offensive
attack
‣ Incident management system considerations/solutions for
an offensive attack
‣ Strategic goals and tactical priorities for a defensive attack
‣ Strategic goals for nonintervention
a defensive attack and nonintervention

Tank Farm/Refinery Fires (1 of 18)
‣ Question to ask students:
‣ Where would you be able to obtain a supply of foam if
confronted with a tank farm or refinery fire in initial or
mutual-aid districts in addition to the foam at the specific
facility?

‣ Refineries and tank farms will contain numerous hazards for
firefighters.
‣ The units that respond to these facilities should have more
than a basic understanding of the inherent dangers they could
encounter.

‣ The product in the tanks at these facilities, as well as at
refineries, can change on a routine basis.
‣ An up-to-date list of the product contained within each tank,
the MSDS for each product, should be available.
‣ Obtaining this information is a priority of the first-arriving unit,
as is obtaining information on firefighting actions that are
underway.

‣ Facility familiarization
‣ Fire departments should pay annual visits to tank farms
and refineries to gain familiarity with the facilities and
personnel.
‣ Storage tanks
‣ There are three common types of flammable liquid storage
tanks.
‣ Open-top floating roof
‣ Covered top floating roof
‣ Cone roof

‣ Storage tanks
‣ Open-top floating roof tanks
‣ The open-top floating roof tank has a roof that floats
on the surface of the product in the tank (normally
crude oil).
‣ This tank design prevents a buildup of vapors between
the surface of the liquid and the underside of the roof,
which can occur with a fixed roof installation.
‣ Most fires in floating roof tanks are located in the seal
area. Small fires can often be handled with
extinguishers by directing agents so that they will flow
between the shield and the seal.

‣ Covered floating roof tanks
‣ The covered floating roof tank has a floating roof and
a permanent solid cone roof.
‣ These tanks can be distinguished by vents near the
top of the tank on the side walls, which allow the
release of vapors.
‣ The fire record for this kind of tank is excellent;
however, fires that do occur are extremely difficult to
extinguish if the tank is not equipped with a fixed
extinguishing system.
‣ The only way to attempt extinguishment is by placing
foam under the cone roof where it has separated from
the side.

‣ Cone roof tanks
‣ The cone roof tank has a permanent solid cone roof
attached to the side walls with a weak shell joint,
allowing for separation of the roof and sides should
pressure buildup occur within the tank.
‣ Fires in these tanks usually involve the entire surface
area of the liquid.
‣ Strategies must be based on containment and control
of the burning product, while recognizing the burning
characteristics of flammable and combustible liquids.

‣ Fire extinguishment
‣ Water is the most common firefighting agent used on
tank fires.
‣ Water can also be used to disperse flammable vapors
or fumes, or as a cooling stream to protect
firefighters operating at flammable liquid fires.
‣ Firefighting foams are the principal agents used in
controlling these kinds of fires.
‣ Hydrocarbon fires can be fought with either a topside
application of foam or a subsurface injection.
‣ If a polar solvent is involved, topside application is
required when using alcohol-resistant foam.

‣ Extinguishment of the burning product without prior
planning as to how to keep it extinguished is useless!
‣ It is necessary to determine the type of foam required
and how much is immediately available at the site or, if
nearby, how it will be transported to the scene.
‣ If the demands of the job cannot be met (insufficient
foam, insufficient foam-producing apparatus or
equipment to properly apply the foam, insufficient
resources or water supply), then a defensive posture
must be taken.

‣ Water supply
‣ Tank farms and refineries may have independent
hydrant systems to supply water for cooling, as well as
foam lines.
‣ Open-top floating roof and covered floating roof tanks
typically are equipped with a stationary or fixed fire-
protection system.

‣ Ground fires
‣ Ground fires around tanks must be controlled quickly.
Fires involving flammable liquids may be extinguished
with dry chemical, water spray, or foam.
‣ Firefighters should not operate within a dike area that
contains either a burning tank or a ground fire.

‣ Protecting exposures
‣ The protection of exposed tanks will be necessary if
there is direct impingement of heat or flame on these
tanks.
‣ Heat impingement above the liquid level can severely
distort the tank. Endangered L PG or LNG tanks must
be protected by water streams.

‣ Boilover
‣ Boilover is a phenomenon that can occur in an open-
top tank containing crude oils that have a wide range
of components.
‣ This phenomenon can cause the crude oil to be
dispelled a distance from the tank, threatening workers
and firefighters.

‣ Slopover
‣ Slopover can occur if a fire stream is applied to the
hot surface of burning oil, provided the oil is
viscous and its temperature exceeds 212 degrees
Fahrenheit (the boiling point of water).
‣ Since this only involves the surface oil, a slopover is
a relatively minor occurrence.
‣ Frothover
‣ Frothover is the overflowing of a container that is
not involved in fire.
‣ Frothover occurs when the water in the container
boils under the surface of a viscous hot oil.

‣ Command
‣ The decision to declare the fire under control and release
units should be made only after careful assessment.
‣ The situation differs from the basic structure fire because
of the volatility of the products involved.

‣ Size-up factors for tank farm/refinery fires
‣ Water
‣ Area
‣ Life hazard

‣ Size-up factors for tank farm/refinery fires
‣ Exposures
‣ Weather
‣ Special matters
‣ Height
‣ Occupancy
‣ Time

‣ Considerations for fires at tank farms/refineries
attack
an offensive attack
‣ Strategic goals for non intervention
‣ Incident management system consideration/solution for a
defensive attack and non intervention

Terrorism Incidents (1 of 33)
‣ What does the acronym B-NICE stand for?
‣ What could the strategic goals for nonintervention be at a
terrorist event?
Give some examples of incidents where this might be
necessary.

‣ A threat that now looms for civilians and responders is that of
terrorism.
‣ Terrorists strike unsuspecting, innocent people and then claim
victory over dead and maimed men, women, and children.

‣ Terrorism incidents versus hazardous materials incidents
‣ In a terrorist incident, the release has been done
intentionally, and there is a strong possibility of the
presence of secondary devices that are meant to kill or
injure responders.
‣ At hazmat incidents, first responders often have the time
to identify the involved material without having
immediately to address mass casualties or mass
decontamination.

‣ Terrorism incidents versus hazardous materials incidents
‣ The US Department of Justice describes terrorism in part
as “a violent act or an act dangerous to human life, in
violation of criminal laws of the United States.” The
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) recognizes two
categories of terrorism.
‣ Domestic
‣ International

‣ Weapons of terrorism
‣ The weapons of a terrorist include armed attack;
biological, nuclear, incendiary, chemical, and explosive
weapons (B–NICE); and weapons of mass destruction.
‣ Biological weapons
‣ Biological weapons include bacteria, such as anthrax
and plague, and viruses.

‣ Nuclear weapons
‣ A nuclear weapons attack is unlikely because of the
enormous expense. A potential problem could exist if
an attack occurred on a fixed nuclear facility with the
intention of a nuclear release.
‣ Incendiary weapons
‣ Incendiary weapons are economical and easily
acquired. They are a favorite of some terrorist groups.
They can be thrown or triggered remotely by chemical,
electronic, or mechanical means.

‣ Chemical weapons
‣ Chemical weapons include nerve agents, blister agents,
blood agents, and others. With the exception of
hydrogen cyanide (which is lighter than air), these
agents are heavier than air and will tend to seek the
lowest level.
‣ Explosives
‣ Explosives are the choice for the greatest number of
terrorist acts. They produce a pyrotechnic event that
causes damage and fear. The bomb can be quite
sophisticated or as basic as a pipe bomb.

‣ Dispatchers and emergency operators
‣ Dispatch centers must develop a list of questions to assist
them in identifying a terrorist event. Training for
dispatchers should include signs and symptoms that could
indicate the possibility of terrorism.

‣ Actions of the first-arriving fire officer
‣ Approach from the uphill and upwind side of the suspected
area.
‣ Minimize the number of personnel in suspected areas.
‣ The most effective actions are protection and
decontamination of civilians and responders.

‣ Identify the type of agent.
‣ Identification of the agent should occur as early as
possible.
‣ Initially, this may be aided by the signs and symptoms of
those injured.
‣ Scene control
‣ Controlling the scene will be difficult.
‣ There is the potential for a mass casualty incident.
‣ A secondary device may exist that is meant to injure
responders.

‣ Request assistance.
‣ Because local and regional resources will be overwhelmed,
an early request for federal assistance will be needed.

‣ Unified Command
‣ Interaction with police
‣ Decontamination
‣ Gross decontamination
‣ Secondary decontamination

‣ Antidotes for exposure to nerve agents and cyanide
‣ Pralodoxime and atropine—autoinjectors
‣ Mark I kit—initial treatment for nerve gas exposure
‣ Diazepam—prevents seizures

‣ Personal protection
‣ Self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA)
‣ Do not make assumptions about what may have
happened.
‣ Stages of response
‣ Stage 1—alert stage
‣ Stage 2—warning stage
‣ Stage 3—immediate response
‣ Stage 4—recovery operations

‣ Response concerns
‣ The numerous responses to false alarms can lead to
indifference on the part of responders.
‣ Treat each call as a true threat, and wear the proper
protective gear.

‣ Size-up factors for terrorism incidents
‣ Water
‣ Area
‣ Life hazard
‣ Exposures

‣ Weather
‣ Special matters
‣ Height
‣ Occupancy
‣ Time

‣ Considerations for terrorism incidents
‣ Strategic goals and tactical priorities of an offensive attack
an offensive attack
‣ Strategic goals and tactical priorities of a defensive attack
‣ Incident management system/consideration/solutions for a
defensive attack and nonintervention

‣ Dirty bombs
‣ There are numerous types of terrorist events that could be
directed against civilians and emergency workers. One
serious threat is the detonation of a dirty bomb.
‣ There have been no reports of a dirty bomb ever being
used.

‣ Question to ask students:
‣ Where would the radioactive material to create a dirty
bomb be found in the students’ local community?

‣ Nuclear versus dirty bomb
‣ A nuclear bomb involves a fission reaction.
‣ A dirty bomb is a “homemade bomb” that uses
conventional explosives and contains radioactive material
that is intended to be dispersed as the bomb explodes.

‣ Radioactive materials
‣ The radioactive materials that can be used in a dirty bomb
can be obtained from military, industrial, or medical
applications.
‣ Cesium-137 is the most likely radioactive element to be
used in a dirty bomb.

‣ Strategic considerations
‣ Dirty bombs are not intended for mass destruction, but for
causing economic destruction. It has been said that they
target mass disruption and panic, more so than mass
destruction.
‣ Responders should approach any suspected or confirmed
bombsite with caution.

‣ Strategic considerations
‣ The immediate protection from any radiation exposure is
time, distance, and shielding. The less time spent in
contact with radiation, the better.
‣ Once radiation is found, decontamination should be set up
immediately and measures enacted to remove and replace
contaminated clothing of civilians and response personnel.

‣ On-scene considerations
‣ An unexploded device should be viewed as a police scene,
left to the bomb squad, and not handled by firefighters
unless they are specifically trained as bomb squad
members.
‣ Needs assessment
‣ An exploded device should be handled as a fire and
hazmat situation.
‣ The need for fire control and rescue must be assessed.

‣ Personal protective gear protection
‣ Typically, the radiation that could be expected at the site
of a dirty bomb would be reasonably low.
‣ A firefighter’s personal protective gear and SCBA would
provide sufficient protection at low levels for a prolonged
period.

‣ Firefighters exposed to radiation
‣ In an emergency, such as a rescue operation, raising the
exposure—within limits—for a single dosage is considered
acceptable.
‣ The planned dose to the whole body should not exceed
100 rems.

‣ Protecting the injured and exposed
‣ If a dirty bomb has detonated in a public assembly
building, firefighters must anticipate a mass casualty
incident.
‣ Seriously injured people should be removed from the
source of radiation, decontaminated, stabilized, and sent
to hospitals.

‣ Cleanup of radiation sites
‣ A dirty bomb that is detonated in a populated city will
probably not be the cause of immediate deaths, but the
resulting cleanup problem can be tremendous.
‣ The cleanup at radiation sites consists of removing the
layers of contamination for disposal.
‣ Incident command organization
‣ The complex situation created by a dirty bomb explosion
will require that an incident management organization be
initiated immediately. There will be the potential for
establishing a Unified Command.

‣ A major concern will be coordination between fire
department units and the bomb squad members operating
at the scene. Early consideration should be given to
establishing a Liaison Officer.

‣ Size-up factors for a dirty bomb incident
‣ Water
‣ Area
‣ Life hazard
‣ Exposures

‣ Weather
‣ Special matters
‣ Height
‣ Occupancy
‣ Time

‣ Considerations for a dirty bomb incident
‣ Strategic goals and tactical priorities of an offensive attack
an offensive attack
‣ Incident management system consideration/solutions for a
defensive attack and nonintervention

Clandestine Drug Labs (1 of 30)
‣ Methamphetamine is the most common illegal drug
currently being manufactured in clandestine drug labs.
What are the street names or nicknames for
methamphetamine?
‣ What are the clues that can identify a clandestine drug
laboratory?

‣ The production and distribution of illegal drugs have a direct
impact on public safety.
‣ The majority of illegal drug labs in the United States are
manufacturing methamphetamine.
‣ The increase in clandestine drug labs (CDLs) is due to the
ease in securing the chemicals and the basic equipment
required.

‣ Methamphetamine
‣ A potent central nervous system stimulant
‣ Most commonly is a colorless crystalline solid.
‣ Impurities may result in brown or tan color.
‣ Has many nicknames that vary by region.

‣ Methamphetamine threats to the public
‣ High risk of explosions and fire from production due to
volatility of chemicals
‣ High potential of acute and chronic health risks from
seizure and disposal of chemicals
‣ Production results in high yield of toxic waste.

‣ Methamphetamine production
‣ More dangerous than a legal lab because the latter have
safety equipment
‣ Chemicals are stored in self-storage facilities and labs may
be mobile trailers.
‣ Production goes along with guns and other violent booby-
traps.

‣ Chemicals involved in methamphetamine production
‣ Generally all are listed as possessing dangerous
characteristics.
‣ Many emit noxious gases and vapors.
‣ Of great concern is red phosphorous, which, when
overheated, creates large quantities of explosive gas.

‣ Common methods of methamphetamine production
‣ “Red, White, and Blue” process
‣ “Birch Reduction”
‣ “Shake n Bake” method

‣ Cues that can identify a CDL
‣ Unusual, strong odors
‣ Excessive trash
‣ Unusual amounts of clear glass containers
‣ Windows blacked out
‣ Secretive/protective devices surrounding the property
‣ High traffic in and out at night

‣ CDLs are classified as:
‣ Active (hot) lab—actively making methamphetamine
‣ Inactive lab—able to make methamphetamine but not
currently doing so
‣ Abandoned lab—materials are present but disassembled

‣ Planning the tactical operation
‣ Planning is the responsibility of the police.
‣ Fire department should have a representative present
during planning.
‣ The response may also include the bomb squad, DEA, fire
department, hazmat units, EMTs, and hazardous waste
contractors.

‣ Safe operating procedures at a CDL for police operations
include:
‣ Avoid weapon use or flashing badges.
‣ Do not touch switches or unplug equipment.
‣ Do not use matches or flames.
‣ Use an explosion-proof flashlight.

‣ Do not taste, smell, or touch any substance.
‣ Do not eat, drink, or smoke.
‣ Do not touch your mouth, eyes, or other mucous
membranes.
‣ Decontaminate clothing, equipment, and personnel before
leaving.

‣ Initial entry team
‣ Must secure the scene and apprehend suspects.
‣ Consists of specially trained law enforcement personnel.
‣ Time in lab should be brief.
‣ A back-up team must be in place prior to their entry into
the lab.

‣ Assessment
‣ Once the building is secured, the lab is assessed for
immediate health and safety risks by trained DEA
personnel.
‣ Items assessed include:
‣ Oxygen levels
‣ Explosive limits
‣ Toxins present

‣ Deactivation is performed by law enforcement personnel and
a forensic chemist, and may include a fire department
representative.
‣ Deactivation includes:
‣ Shutting down active reactions
‣ Ventilating the lab
‣ Searching for booby-traps
‣ Documenting and collecting evidence

‣ Booby-traps are found at many CDLs.
‣ Used to protect their drugs.
‣ Also set up to destroy evidence.
‣ Traps range from basic to exotic.

‣ When the police identify a CDL, they will request fire
department assistance.
‣ The fire department usually becomes part of the Unified
Command.
‣ Or the police may assume role as Incident Commander and
have fire department act as assisting agency.

‣ The first-arriving fire department chief officer must confer
with the police IC.
‣ Based upon the lab status (active or inactive), the chief will
assist in:
‣ Determining areas to be evacuated
‣ Size of the hot, warm, cold zone boundaries
‣ Placing hose-lines
‣ Determining amount of fire department resources needed

‣ A hazmat unit will assist police.
‣ The hazmat unit officer will:
‣ Ensure proper protective gear is used.
‣ Determine staffing levels required.
‣ Arrange for the proper number of backup teams.
‣ Ensure teams exiting are properly decontaminated.

‣ The medical response to a CDL varies by jurisdiction.
‣ Minimum required is an ambulance with EMTs.
‣ Medical personnel check vital signs for all personnel both pre-
and post-entry.
‣ They care for all injured or contaminated civilians or
personnel.
‣ The triage area is set up in the cold zone.

‣ Most CDLs are discovered as a result of fire or explosion.
‣ Other instances include:
‣ Routine building inspection
‣ Response to an unusual odor
‣ Request for medical assistance
‣ As part of a response to a nearby fire

‣ If a CDL is found as part of an emergency medical call, the
fire department or ambulance personnel must leave the
building immediately.
‣ The patient may be removed only if it can be accomplished
without exposing the response personnel.
‣ The hospital must be notified if bringing a patient from a CDL.

‣ Firefighters actions on discovering a CDL
‣ Immediately notify the IC.
‣ If in a hotel or motel, try containment and evacuations.
‣ If using water, set nozzles on fog patterns to minimize
runoff.
‣ If building is empty, immediately leave.

‣ Do not touch switches, equipment, or utilities.
‣ Keep gear on.
‣ Use hose-line to gross decontaminate.
‣ Set up an upwind Staging Area.
‣ Remember that criminal suspects may be in the area.

‣ Interior signs of a CDL
‣ Lab glassware or distillation equipment
‣ Plastic or rubber tubing
‣ Heating apparatus
‣ Chemicals and chemistry books
‣ Jugs with no labels, lots of pillboxes or containers

‣ Though CDLs are a police operation, the fire department
assumes Command if a fire starts.
‣ CDL fires have many additional hazards and instabilities due
to the chemicals.
‣ Minimal water should be used.
‣ Once evacuated, use a defensive attack.
‣ A hot zone with minimal personnel should be established.

‣ CDL cleanup
‣ After evidence is seized, law enforcement is responsible for
removal and disposal of hazardous waste.
‣ Cleanup costs typically run from $3,000 to $10,000.

‣ Size-up factors for a CDL
‣ Water
‣ Area
‣ Life hazard

‣ Exposures
‣ Weather
‣ Special matters
‣ Height
‣ Occupancy
‣ Time

‣ Considerations for a CDL
attack
an offensive attack
a defensive attack

Natural Disasters (1 of 22)
‣ What types of natural disasters are likely to occur where
your department works?
‣ What are the dangers associated with winter storms?
‣ Natural disasters are devastating events that destroy property
and take lives.

‣ Common natural disasters include:
‣ Hurricanes
‣ Floods
‣ Earthquakes
‣ Wildland fires
‣ Volcanic Eruptions
‣ Others
‣ Winter Storms
‣ Tornadoes

‣ Hurricanes
‣ Giant spiraling tropical storms
‣ Characterized by high winds and rain
‣ Upon landfall, can produce a devastating storm surge.
‣ Can spawn tornadoes, floods and mudslides.
‣ Best defense is an accurate forecast for preparation and
evacuation.

‣ Floods
‣ An overflow or accumulation of water that submerges land
‣ Caused by heavy rains, melting snow, failure of dams or
levees.
‣ Waters can rise rapidly, trapping occupants.
‣ Firefighter responses may require boats and flotation
devices.

‣ Earthquakes
‣ Occur at fault zones where tectonic plates collide.
‣ Loss of property and life can only be minimized through
emergency planning, education, and building construction.

‣ Wildland fires
‣ Burn millions of acres of forest, brush, and grass-covered
land annually.
‣ Wildfire can threaten areas of urban interface and cause
tremendous damage.
‣ Most are extinguished when smaller than one acre.
‣ Fighting wildfires requires specific training and mobilization
of massive resources.

‣ Winter storms
‣ Heavy snow and ice can paralyze a city, including fire
department resources.
‣ Extreme cold temperatures are a life safety hazard
(hypothermia, frostbite).
‣ Blizzards bring large amounts of snow and winds of at
least 35 mph.
‣ Nor’easters bring flooding, coastal erosion, strong winds,
and precipitation.

‣ Derecho
‣ A complex of thunderstorms that produces large swaths of
severe, straight-line wind damage

‣ Tornadoes
‣ Violent rotating column of air that is in contact with the
earth and a cloud
‣ Spawned by severe thunderstorms
‣ Contain heavy rain, hail, and lightning.
‣ Firefighters searching for missing civilians should
remember that they should be in basements, storm cellars,
or interior first-floor rooms.

‣ Volcanic eruptions
‣ A volcano is a rupture, or opening, in the surface of the
earth that allows hot magma, ash, and gases to escape.
‣ The US Geological Survey monitors and predicts volcanic
activity.
‣ Potential problems
‣ The impact on infrastructure can last for days, weeks, or
longer.

‣ Potential problems
‣ A variety of problems can accompany a natural disaster,
impacting response.
‣ Landslides
‣ Release of hazmat
‣ Downed power lines
‣ Escaping natural gas
‣ Loss of water supply
‣ Damage to shelters

‣ Actions to alleviate problems
‣ Severity of disaster will impact the ability of responders to
act.
‣ Delays may occur due to dangers to responders.
‣ Damaged roads, downed power lines, and flood restrict
responder access.
‣ Clean drinking water is a priority.
‣ Warnings of disaster
‣ Early warnings such as weather forecasts allow proactive
communities to prepare for the possibility of a natural
disaster and initiate emergency actions.

‣ Planning for natural disasters
‣ Teamwork is required at all levels of government and
between agencies.
‣ Preplanning requires identification of potential hazards and
plans to mitigate them.
‣ An emergency operational plan (EOP) and training are
critical for successful incident scene management.

‣ Immediate damage assessment
‣ Determines the degree of damage.
‣ Larger in scope than a size-up
‣ Units performing the assessment must complete it before
stopping to assist civilians.
‣ If they must stop to prevent loss of life, another unit
should step in immediately to complete the assessment.

‣ Conducting an immediate damage assessment
‣ Detailed assessment is difficult for first responders due to
limited time and higher priority issues.
‣ Areas with extensive damage can be completed by units
assigned to the area.
‣ Assessment is a shared responsibility across several
agencies.
‣ Can be conducted in air by helicopters.
‣ Focus on locations where large numbers of injured may
reside, emergency response may be restricted, or where
additional problems may exist.

‣ Standardized damage assessment forms
‣ Standard forms for recording and transmitting information
are needed.
‣ Form may be used for requesting emergency declarations.
‣ One approach is to have field units use a small version of
the form used by Dispatch or the EOC.

‣ Communications at natural disasters
‣ Incident scene conditions must be reported to Dispatch or
the EOC.
‣ Normal communication methods may be knocked out by
the disaster.
‣ A communications system must be reestablished quickly.
‣ It is best to prepare and have a backup system in place.

‣ Resource assistance
‣ Assistance may be required from outside the impacted
area.
‣ Commonly requested resources
‣ Building inspectors
‣ Dump trucks
‣ Tree crews
‣ Public works
‣ Fuel trucks
‣ Technical specialists

‣ Incident management system
‣ The National Incident Management System (NIMS) is
mandated by the DHS.
‣ NIMS allows diverse agencies to work together seamlessly.
‣ NIMS allows for modular expansion.
‣ Written IAP is needed.
‣ Documentation is required to recover funds from state and
federal agencies.

‣ Size-up factors for natural disaster incidents
‣ Water
‣ Area
‣ Life hazard

‣ Exposures
‣ Weather
‣ Special matters
‣ Height
‣ Occupancy
‣ Time

‣ Considerations for natural disaster incidents
‣ Preplanning
‣ Utilization of an incident management system
‣ Develop an EOP, test it through exercises, and adjust it as
needed.

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