2811 Ch 10 PowerPoint.pptx

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

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
considerations/solutions for an offensive attack
‣ Strategic goals and tactical priorities for a
defensive attack
‣ Strategic goals for nonintervention
considerations/solutions for 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
offensive attack
defensive attack
‣ Strategic goals for non intervention
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–NIC
E); 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
‣ 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
defensive attack
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 EMT
s.
‣ 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
offensive attack
considerations/solutions for an offensive
attack
defensive attack
considerations/solutions for 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

‣ 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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