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Section 301.01
Emergency Response
I. Scope:
This standard establishes guidelines to be followed during the management of an incident involving a hazardous material. It was created to:
A. Establish guidelines for the management of a hazardous materials incident.
B. Provide for the safety of response personnel.
II. Definitions:
The following definitions are taken from a variety of sources including NFPA 472, Standard for Professional Competence of Responders to Hazardous Materials Incidents.
A. Cold Zone: The zone of a hazardous materials incident, that contains the command post and other such support functions as are deemed necessary to control the incident. This zone is also referred to as the clean zone or support zone.
B. Confinement: Those procedures taken to keep a hazardous material in a defined or local area once released.
C. Containment: Those actions taken to keep a hazardous material in its container (e.g. Stop the release of the material or reduce the amount being released).
D. Contaminant: A hazardous material that physically remains on or in people, animals, the environment or equipment, thereby creating a continuing risk of direct exposure outside of the Hot Zone.
E. Decontamination: The physical or chemical process of reducing and preventing the spread of contamination from persons, environment or equipment involved in a hazardous materials incident.
F. Exposure: The process by which people, animals, the environment and equipment are subjected to, or come in contact with a hazardous material.
G. Hazardous Material: A substance that, when released, is capable of creating harm to people, animals, the environment and property.
H. Hot Zone: The area immediately surrounding a Hazardous Materials Incident. It extends enough to where adverse effects from the material release will not be expected. It is also referred to as the exclusion zone or the restricted zone.
I. Penetration: The movement of a material through a clothing enclosure – such as zippers, button holes, seams, flaps or other designed features of chemical protective clothing and through punctures, cuts or tears.
J. Stabilization: The point in an incident at which the adverse behavior of the hazardous material is controlled.
K. Warm Zone: The control zone, at a Hazardous Materials Incident, where personnel and equipment decontamination and hot zone support takes place. It includes control points for the access corridor and helping to reduce the spread of contamination. This zone is also referred to as the decontamination zone, contamination reactor zone, or limited access zone.
III. General:
A. The first arriving officer at an incident involving hazardous materials, shall report the following information to dispatch:
1. The exact location of the incident.
2. The type and quantity of the materials involved, if known.
3. The extent of the damage and the number and types of injuries.
4. The name of the carrier if a vehicle is involved.
5. Any other pertinent information such as the hazardous material entering the storm drain or sanitary sewer system.
6. Ensure the proper authorities are contacted (e.g. CANUTEC, County, RCMP, etc.).
B. The first arriving officer shall also request any additional resources that may be needed, establish command and begin securing the incident scene to prevent additional injuries or contamination.
C. The area shall be evacuated if necessary. This function shall be turned over to the police once sufficient law enforcement resources arrive on scene.
D. Dispatch shall provide the Incident Commander with the temperature, wind speed and direction, and humidity as soon as it is possible to do so.
IV. Tactical Objectives:
A. The Incident Commander shall asses the situation and identify the product(s) involved prior to committing personnel.
B. If entry must be made into the hot zone to rescue someone or to contain a release, the appropriate level of protective clothing shall be worn by the personnel who enter.
C. If personnel are committed to the hot zone, decontamination and rehabilitation sectors shall be established, as well as a warm zone and a cold zone.
D. Decontamination of victims shall also occur prior to their being transported to a medical facility.
E. Additional resources shall be requested in accordance with the Municipal Disaster Services Plan. This includes the dispatch of private vendors if the incident exceeds the departments’ capabilities.
F. The Incident Commanders objectives will be containment and stabilization. Final extinguishment and clean-up of incidents that exceed the capabilities of the department will be the responsibility of the private vendors who respond to the incident.
G. In more complicated incidents, it may be necessary to activate the Disaster Services Plan and/or the EPWS.
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