FE Volume 145 Issue 2

Passage of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA Title III) was heralded by the fire service as legislation that was long overdue. We welcomed the “community right-to-know” mandate that finally would give emergency responders (and area residents) access to information about the hazardous materials on the industrial sites in our jurisdiction.

Vehicles that transport bulk quantities of motor fuel and related products are commonly referred to as gasoline tankers. Tractor-trailer versions haul up to approximately 9,000 gallons, depending on product mix, gross vehicle weight, and highway weight limits.

On February 24, 1978, a railroad tank car loaded with liquefied petroleum gas (IPG) ruptured following a derailment in the small western Tennessee town of Waverly. In the massive fireball that followed the tank failure, 16 people were killed, including the town’s fire chief, police chief, and a Tennessee Emergency Management Agency hazardous-materials specialist.

Media Resources, Inc.’s video training package TRENCH RESCUE trains responders to safely and effectively rescue workers who are trapped in a collapsed trench. The video demonstrates how to properly place apparatus; manage traffic and crowds at the scene; perform accurate size-up; control rescue area hazards; secure the trench for rescue; and access, stabilize, and remove victims. Contact Media Resources, 2614 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver, WA 98661-3997 U.S.A. (800) 666-0106.