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Policy 3306: Hazardous Materials

Policy 3306: Hazardous Materials

YAKIMA COUNTY FIRE DISTRICT 12

10000 ZIER ROAD

YAKIMA, WA 98908

POLICY # 3306

COMMISSION CHAIR SIGNATURE s/b Marshia Goss, Chair

EFFECTIVE DATE: JANUARY 7, 1999

REVISED DATE: APRIL 14, 2009

POLICY TITLE: HAZARDOUS MATERIALS OPERATIONS

REFERENCE: WAC 296-305-05011

WAC 296-62 Part P

SOG 5-1 Hazardous Materials Operations

PURPOSE It is the policy of Yakima County Fire District #12 to provide a First Response Capability for Hazardous Materials Incidents. First Response includes members trained to the Awareness Level which includes on going size-up, identification of the presence of Hazardous Materials, crew protection, calling for trained members and providing a secure scene.

1.0 Emergency scene activities shall be consistent with the level of training of on-scene personnel (Awareness Level, Operational Level or above).

2.0 DEFINITIONS

Hazardous Material: A substance that presents an unusual danger to persons due to properties of toxicity, chemical reactivity, or decomposition, corrosively, explosion or detonation, etiological hazards, or similar properties.

2.1 First Responder Awareness: First Responders at the awareness level are members who are likely to witness or discover a hazardous substance release and who have been trained to initiate an emergency response sequence by notifying the proper authorities of the release. They will take no further action beyond notifying the authorities of the release & denying entry.

2.2 First Responder Operations Level: First Responders at the operations level are members who respond to releases or potential releases of hazardous substances as part of the initial response to the site for the purpose of protecting nearby persons, property, or the environment from the effects of the release. They are trained to respond in a defensive fashion without actually trying to stop the release.

2.3 Hazardous Materials Technician: Hazardous Materials Technicians are individuals who respond to releases or potential releases of a hazardous material for the purpose of stopping or controlling a release.

2.4 Incident Commander: The person in overall command of an emergency incident. This person is responsible for the direction and coordination of the response effort. If a hazardous Materials Response team is on site, tactics will be implemented by the Incident Commander after consultation with the Hazardous Materials Response Team.

3.0 GUIDELINES

The Incident Commander may implement all aspects of the Incident Command System.

3.1 A command post shall be established, and the Washington State Patrol notified of the incident and command post location.

3.2 Located upwind at a safe distance from the incident. This distance shall be determined by the nature of the incident, including type of hazardous material, quantity involved, and weather conditions.

3.3 All appropriate personnel shall be advised of Command's location.

3.4 A Public Information Officer (PIO) shall be appointed.

4.0 A "safe" zone shall be established in concert with local law enforcement.

5.0 All responding members shall wear full structural fire fighting protective clothing and where appropriate positive pressure SCBA. Specialized protective clothing and tools will be used only by responders who are trained to the appropriate level.

6.0 Approach a possible HazMat incident from a safe distance, uphill and upwind.

7.0 Contact with spilled, leaking, burning, etc. materials shall be avoided.

8.0 Material identification shall be completed as soon as possible using generally accepted methods:

(a) Placards

(b) Labels

(c) Verbal Information

(d) Shipping documents

(e) Appearances

9.0 In the event that the evacuation of residents of the area surrounding the emergency scene is necessary, the evacuation order will be issued by the Incident Commander, with coordination between local and state law enforcement

9.1 Notification to the public will be made using radio and television, mobile public address systems, and door to door canvassing as appropriate.

9.2 Evacuation routes shall be selected to avoid exposure to hazardous materials.