BY MARTIN C. GRUBE
 (photos by author) |
Any fuel spill has the poten-tial to be very dangerous to emergency responders, bystanders, and the environment-for example, the fuel can enter storm drains, waterways, and canals. Combustible liquids such as diesel fuel and kerosene are not as flammable as gasoline and can be handled a little differently. With flammable liquids, you must consider vapor suppression in addition to potential spark hazards, whereas diesel fuel must be preheated to produce flammable vapors. To control a fuel spill, take the following steps:
- Size up.
- Confine.
- Contain.
- Suppress vapors.
- Terminate incident.
SIZE-UP
 |
Your size-up should begin with the travel route. Obtain as much information as possible from dispatch pertaining to the location of the fuel spill so you can take the appropriate route to get to the scene. Do not arrive from the bottom of a hill, for example. Incorporate the following in your size-up:
- Have the police block off roadways before you arrive to reduce traffic congestion near the incident site.
- Ask dispatch for wind direction.
- Assess the terrain and waterways in the area.
- Determine the incident site’s proximity to schools, shopping malls, and hospitals-facilities that may place large numbers of people in jeopardy.
- Identify your water supply in case it’s needed.
- Know which fire units are responding on initial dispatch.
- Does protocol automatically dispatch a tanker unit, the police, and the adjacent city’s foam unit, or will you have to call for them?
- Is your haz-mat team on automatic dispatch for these types of calls?
Once on-scene, identify the product by using the North American Emergency Response Guidebook.
CONFINEMENT
 |
Controlling the flow is critical and must be accomplished as soon as possible to reduce the exposure time for humans and the environment. If the liquid is combustible, you may use tools carried on the fire apparatus; however, if the liquid is highly flammable, you must consider the danger of sparks from these tools. Most haz-mat response units carry spark-resistive tools.
Follow the trail of the leak to its farthest point. Bring a round point shovel so you can use damming and diking materials on hand (see photo 1) to contain the spill. Try to look for soft material such as mulch, soft dirt around the plant, and sand. Many departments carry a five-gallon bucket with a lid filled with kitty litter/oil dry or other spill-containment material in the “crow’s nest” of the truck, topside. The spill must be stopped quickly to prevent it from entering storm drains. Should the product get into the storm drain, identify the path of the spill inside the storm drain and determine whether the storm drain is connected to a sanitary system or leads to a pit or basin or a waterway. If it is connected to a navigable waterway with tidal flow, notify the Coast Guard. If the flow is nontidal but navigable, consider getting a boat team with absorbent booms in the water.
CONTAINMENT
 |
Containment is the act of stopping the release from its container. By now, the haz-mat team is on-scene and should be in full protective gear (see photo 2) and can move in to identify the cause of the leak and stop the flow. If plugging and patching cannot stop the flow, the product can be offloaded to overpack drums carried on the haz-mat truck. (see photo 3).
VAPOR SUPPRESSION
With highly flammable liquids, vapor suppression tactics are used to reduce the emission of vapors, the effect on the people in the area, and the chance of the vapors’ igniting. Water streams may be used to dissipate vapors, but it is best to use firefighting foam; AFFF and FFFP are the most common types. Alcohol-resistant foams may be needed for fuels with high concentrations of oxygenated additives (such as MTBE and ethanol).
INCIDENT STABILIZATION
After the leak and spill have been controlled, a professional cleanup crew may be called to the site. Keep the names of such companies on file at the dispatch center for ready reference. Firefighters should not remove waste, but they can stay at the scene to assist or stand by to apply more foam if it is needed.
INCIDENT COMMAND
Setting up formal command is a necessity on this type of call (see photo 4). Many agencies and jurisdictions may be involved: police, mutual aid, haz-mat teams, the Coast Guard, EMS, the city public works department, and the cleanup contractor. If it will be a long-term operation, the incident commander must arrange for rehab and food for the crews.
Safety is your first concern at a haz-mat spill. Be aware of all potential hazards, including damaged power poles if a motor vehicle accident occurred, traffic, and walking in the product.
MARTIN C. GRUBE is a 23-year veteran of the Virginia Beach (VA) Fire Department, where he is an assistant fire marshal. He is a master firefighter, a Virginia-certified trainer, and the department historian and photographer.
