Are you prepared for an emergency response situation, such as a mercury spill, unstable chemicals, water/sewer line break, oil spill and more? Being prepared and reacting swiftly to assemble your ER team can help to prevent further harm.

1. Emergency Response
Preparedness
Triumvirate Environmental presents:
What To Do While Waiting For Responders

2. Meet Your Moderator
James
Ciccone

3. What to Expect
All lines will be muted.
Communicate via the questions tab in your
webinar panel.
Unanswered questions will be responded to after
the webinar.
Webinar recording and slides will be emailed to
you tomorrow.

4. Meet Your Presenter
Kevin Coulon
Regional Services Director
BS in Geography
Started with Triumvirate in 2005
Previously – Environmental Specialist,
Operations Specialist, and Branch Manager,
Preventative Maintenance Manager

5. Agenda
Scenarios
Critical Information
Fascinating ER Calls
Ways to Prepare
Worst Case vs Best Case
Questions

6. Scenarios
Chemical
Spill to the Environment
Confined Space
Unknown Odor

7. Poll Question
Which scenario are
you most
concerned about?

8. Chemical
Unstable chemicals found during moves or clean
outs
Gas cylinder
Chemical spill in the lab setting
Mercury
Spills during chemical delivery

9. Spill to the
Environment
Volume
Reporting Requirements
Wetlands
Storm Drains

10. Confined Space
Response
Hydraulic oil released into
elevator shaft (CSE)
Hydraulic oil released into
catch basin
Treatment tanks

11. Unknown
Odor
Isolation
Evacuation
Investigation

12. Agenda
Scenarios
Critical Information
Fascinating ER Calls
Ways to Prepare
Worst Case vs Best Case
Questions

13. Critical Information
The Where
The What
The Who
The When
The How

14. Behavioral
Incidents
Note: The majority of the
incidents we respond to are at
night, during the weekend, early
Monday morning, holidays, or late
in the day on Friday.

15. Critical Information to Provide to
Responding Contractor
• Recognize this information exchange will shape the
emergency contractors decisions (people/equipment)
 This will also help your contractor with providing recommendations
as next step while waiting for responder
• Your name and phone number of the person who will be
onsite
• The chemical(s) involved, and whether MSDS’s are
available
• The site address, building number/name, room number,
or area that has the problem

16. • Has there been a release to the environment or is it contained
within the building?
 If released to environment, define the media affected (soil,
groundwater, surface water, concrete, asphalt, etc.)
 If released down a drain, define where the drain goes (treatment
system, direct to sewer, etc.)
• The quantity released – can cause worst case
 Helpful tip – There are 7.48 gallons per cubic foot
• Cause of release
Critical Information to Provide to
Responding Contractor

17. • What other agencies have been
contacted?
• What actions have you taken
prior to making the call?
• Your expectations for cleanup
Critical Information to Provide to
Responding Contractor

18. Agenda
Scenarios
Critical Information
Fascinating ER Calls
Ways to Prepare
Worst Case vs Best Case
Questions

19. Fascinating ER Statements
• If I call in a spill smaller than it really is, I will be charged less?
• Information? I don’t have time right now to get you more information. Just get here now!
• I will not be there but knock on the door and someone there will let you in
• Can you give me a quote before dispatching the response crew?
• Please call me back at XXX-XXX-XXXX. “The number you have dialed is disconnected”
• “This is Joe. I have a spill call me.”
• I don’t know what it is or how much of it spilled, but I need it cleaned up in 1 hour.
• I realize it is midnight, but can you have a crew here in five minutes?

20. • I need you to clean out the elevator shaft.
Secured? Locked Out? You are the
response company, you’re supposed to know
that information
• There is a funny smell coming from this
room. I only need one person to come help
me figure it out
• I’ll take care of the spill. What do you mean
training? Emergencies don’t require training.
Fascinating ER Statements

21. Agenda
Scenarios
Critical Information
Fascinating ER Calls
Ways to Prepare
Worst Case vs Best Case
Questions

22. • Understand your potential scenarios
 Walk around with key staff and/or
contractor(s)
 Assess chemical storage practices
 Update your chemical inventory
 Track energetic or highly hazardous
materials
 Assess treatment tanks
 Identify high risk areas for spills
• Update contingency plans
Ways to Prepare for Hazardous
Material Incidents

23. • Training!
 Review observations from the survey
 Talk about worst case scenarios
 Conduct mock drills
 Test your on-call system
• Limit who can make the call for outside help
 Make sure they are knowledgeable
 Make sure the are able to make decisions
needed to clean up the spill
Ways to Prepare for Hazardous
Material Incidents

24. Poll Question
Do you conduct
regular emergency
response training?

25. • Make sure you know when outside contractors will be on site
and what they will be working on
 Ask for an ETA and for updates if the time changes
 How clean do you want the area (only remove the hazard,
full decon, etc)
• Prepare a simplified ER binder
 Copy of your internal communication plan
 Phone numbers & pagers for key staff
 Phone numbers for outside contractors
 Site map
 Information on your most dangerous materials
Ways to Prepare for Hazardous
Material Incidents

26. Agenda
Scenarios
Critical Information
Fascinating ER Calls
Ways to Prepare
Worst Case vs Best Case
Questions

27. Worst Case Scenario
vs. Best Case Scenario
Usually comes down to the following:
• -Remaining calm
• -Ensure your staff is safe
• -Accurate information is gathered by the
individual(s) involved with the spill
• -Excellent information exchange
• -A well-prepared staff

28. Agenda
Scenarios
Critical Information
Fascinating ER Calls
Ways to Prepare
Worst Case vs Best Case
Questions

29. QUESTIONS?

30. Thank You For Attending!
• You will receive an email tomorrow
with a copy of this presentation
• Please complete our short survey
• All attendees will receive a
complimentary ER checklist
Request a Free Emergency Response Consultation:
http://info.triumvirate.com/emergency-response-consultation
Contact: Kevin Coulon
kcoulon@triumvirate.com