Beyond the Rule of Thumb
Survival Tip 17
By Steven DeLisi
On arrival at the scene of a motor vehicle accident involving an overturned box truck, you discover that the vehicle has crashed through the guardrail of an interstate route and landed on its side in a flowing creek that runs parallel to the roadway. The vehicle is on fire; despite the large volumes of smoke and flame, you can see a placard with the product identification number of 1384. You suspect that some of the cargo has spilled into the waterway.
Almost immediately, you consult the yellow-bordered pages of the Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG 2004) you carry on your engine and confirm the presence of sodium hydrosulfite. The entry is highlighted and you know highlighted entries are for those materials also listed in the green-bordered pages of the ERG 2004, the section that includes information related to protective action distances. These distances are of vital importance to first responders and the public since products listed in the ERG’s Table of Isolation and Protective Action Distances are those known to be toxic by inhalation or which can produce toxic gases upon contact with water.
Protective actions are defensive tactics that first responders can use to minimize the exposure of people to hazardous materials. They include initial efforts to isolate and deny entry to affected areas. Although these efforts are effective defensive tactics for most any hazardous materials incident, remember that incidents involving airborne hazards will usually require additional steps to protect the public, including evacuation and sheltering in-place.
According to the ERG 2004, “sheltering in-place is used when evacuating the public would cause greater risk than staying where they are, or when an evacuation cannot be performed.” The latter situation could involve occupancies such as nursing homes where there are insufficient personnel and resources to move occupants to safety. There could also be situations in which able-bodied persons are unable to evacuate a building because of the potential health hazards resulting from their proximity to a chemical release, knowing that an evacuation could force them to proceed directly through a deadly vapor cloud.
Remember that communication with those advised to stay indoors is vital, as is the ability to account for their safety throughout the incident. These individuals must be instructed to close all doors and windows and shut off all air-handling equipment such as heating and cooling systems. They should also be encouraged to remain in an interior room without windows, if one is available.
Whenever possible, evacuation of buildings in an affected area may be the best protective action. In that manner, first responders can usually account for individuals and provide for their well-being in appropriate shelters. Evacuation may also be a preferred over sheltering in-place if the hazardous material released is flammable or if it likely will take a long time for the material to dissipate, such as when a heavier-than-air gas that is released on a day with very little wind.
However, serious considerations when deciding on evacuation include where to shelter evacuees, how to get these individuals to shelters, and how to care for them once they arrive. Remember that someone will always forget their medication and that the normal function of any facility used as a shelter (such as a school, church, or fire station) will be disrupted while the shelter is in operation.
First responders should always remember that it is acceptable to use both evacuation and in-place protection simultaneously as a protective action. For example, if a vapor cloud resulting from a hazardous materials release spreads suddenly over an area, there may not be enough time for individuals in nearby buildings to evacuate without becoming exposed to the chemical vapors. They therefore may need to take immediate shelter indoors. However, those farther away from the incident site may still have ample time to evacuate safely.
Once first responders decide on either in-place protection or evacuation (or both), their next challenge often is to notify individuals in the affected area. Some localities have the capability for emergency officials to contact the public by telephone using a special modification to an already established 911 system (reverse 911) and deliver a recorded message with emergency information.
However, even if these systems are in place, personal contact with the public will likely be required to alert those located outdoors (such as urban shopping areas or sites such as parks), and who are without access to a land-based telephone. Furthermore, despite the presence of telephone alerting systems, first responders may still find it necessary to go door-to-door or use loudspeakers on emergency vehicles to alert the public in those situations when immediate action is necessary because of the proximity and severity of the incident. When doing so, never forget that first responders can become victims of hazardous materials exposure. Always take precautions to protect yourself!
When attempting to document notification of citizens in affected areas while going door-to-door, one suggestion is to mark the front door of each building or mailbox with a small piece of triage tape indicating that a public safety official has already visited that location. Some first responders may elect to use two different colors, one to indicate contact with the occupants and another to signify no response.
First responders will soon learn that some occupants refuse to answer their door, especially if these individuals are elderly or young children who are told to never open the door when they are home alone. Just because someone doesn’t answer the door to a residence is no assurance that the building is unoccupied! First responders should always anticipate that an individual may arrive on scene during the course of an incident with information that a family member is still inside their home in an area where all others have been evacuated. When this situation involves children, be prepared for a parent who will attempt to rescue their child, despite your efforts to restrain them!
Whenever protective actions such as evacuation or sheltering in-place become necessary, first responders should always remember to contact their local emergency management officials for assistance. These individuals are often prepared with the knowledge of:
- How to request local media to transmit emergency messages
- Available shelters, shelter operations, and transportation
- How to operate shelters in a safe and efficient manner
Accountability of evacuees is always a serious concern, especially when dealing with children. Confusion will be unavoidable during the initial phase of any evacuation and local emergency management officials can provide valuable assistance here. Accountability is even more challenging when more than one sheltering site is used.
Will some challenge the decision of first responders to evacuate citizens? Will some complain if first responders close a portion of a highway, especially an interstate route? Will business owners become angry if their stores, restaurants, or factories are evacuated? You bet! However, always remember that citizens will complain more if you don’t evacuate them and they are injured than if you do force them to leave their homes and businesses and they are merely inconvenienced. When challenged regarding decisions that involve protective actions, never forget that remember an inconvenience is temporary, but dead is forever.
When dealing with protective actions, be smart, be safe, and remember, everyone goes home!
Discussion Points
- Does your community use a “reverse 911 system?” If so, how can first responders activate this system? How long will it take to prepare and issue a recorded message?
- Identify your local emergency management officials. Do first responders know how to contact these individuals at night, during weekends, and on holidays? Remember that some of the worst incidents can occur at these times.
- Are there predetermined evacuation shelters in your community, along with plans to transport large numbers of evacuees to these sites? If so, make sure that you have this information available on your apparatus. Remember that although there may be time to set up an evacuation center during a pending hurricane, hazardous materials incidents occur without warning and so the time to prepare for an incident is now.
Click here for more info on Steven De Lisi’s book, Hazardous Materials Incidents: Surviving the Initial Response.
Steven M. De Lisi is a 27-year veteran of the fire service and is currently Deputy Chief for the Virginia Air National Guard Fire Rescue located at the Richmond International Airport. De Lisi is a Hazardous Materials Specialist and a former chairman of the Virginia Fire Chiefs Association’s Hazardous Materials Committee. He is also an adjunct instructor for the Virginia Department of Fire Programs and a former member of the NFPA committee on hazardous materials protective clothing. De Lisi began his career in hazardous materials response in 1982 as a member of the HAZMAT team with the Newport News (VA) Fire Department. Since then, he has also served as a Hazardous Materials Officer for the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and in that capacity provided on-scene assistance to first responders involved with hazardous materials incidents in an area that included more than 20 local jurisdictions.
