How do you feel about Haz-Mat?

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Permalink Reply by Dave LeBlanc on March 28, 2008 at 6:08am

I think that it often a question of comfort level. We tend to shy away from what we don't know.

I also think that most of us tend not to consider the Hazmat potential from the "routine" responses. We expect Hazmat responses when Ethel Q Public calls and says she smell something funny outside her house and we respond and find that Acme Chemicals newest driver,

Wile E Coyote, has done something wrong.
I think another factor is the Chemistry angle. In college I took two Chemistry classes, Fire Science Chemistry and the Chemistry of Hazardous materials. Based on the first class, I formed a very dim view of me ever being able to understand Chemistry. The class was very difficult and I had a lot of problems, even though I was taking General Chemistry at the same time.

The second class was taught by a firefighter. It was a more simplistic view at how we need to deal with the Chemicals, not how to make battery acid from drinking water. Stuff like, if it ends in "ide" then it will probably do this, etc, etc.

I am currently trained to Hazmat Ops level and am comfortable with being able to handle "routine" Hazmat calls. We are fortunate that we have a Statewide Hazmat team made up of Firefighters from across the State. Our closest techs are 10 or 15 minutes away.

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Permalink Reply by Robert E. Shelton on March 28, 2008 at 9:24am

Thanks for the reply. I agree that we tend to stay with things that we are comfortable with. One of the things that concerns me is the lack of knowledge of what we deal with on a fire. You don't have to be a chemist, but anything that can harm me I want to know how. It's not enough to know that smoke is bad, we need to know why!! I have attended chemistry courses that were way above what we need to know. Covalent & monovalent bonding, who cares. What we need to know is what type of protection is needed,what harm it will do to me, and how do I detect it. When I teach chemistry thats what I use. 2 Instructors from the IAFF taught me how to teach chemistry that is applicable for the fire service Joe Gorman of Fairfax Co. & Chris Aguirre a Lt. from Miami have a website http://www.hazmatiq.com/ that gives us what we all need to be better firefighters

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Permalink Reply by Dave LeBlanc on March 28, 2008 at 11:39am

Thanks for the link.

I have found, once it was put into "easier" to understand language, my interest in it has grown.

I also agree that I would like to be aware as possible about every hazard we may come into contact with. Like with Air Management, once you see how bad the smoke really is, you tend to think a lot harder about making sure you don't breathe it.

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Permalink Reply by Brent Sanger on March 28, 2008 at 9:03pm

I think a lot of firefighters don't find hazmat to be "glamorous" enough. After all, how many pictures do you see on the front page of a guy in a Level A suit as opposed to a half dozen guys on a hoseline with flames licking over their heads at a structure fire? Hazmat doesn't have the adrenaline rush either, being slow and methodical. Yes structural firefighting is methodical, but it happens in a hurry. I myself love hazmat. I love the mental challenge of sorting out the bits and pieces of clues the entry team sends back to be able to identify the substance in question, then figuring out how to control and contain it, without getting anyone hurt. Hazmat is the fastest growing part of the firefighting world, thanks in part to the media with stories of chemical warfare agents and the like. Also, it is the fastest growing part because of our own increased knowledge on how to handle these situations. The more we learn, the more we can do. And the more we do, the more we learn. And you are right, almost every call we go on has the potential to be a hazmat scene, especially MVAs. Most hazmat gurus will know the answer to this, but what is the most commonly spilled hazardous material? I would be curious to know what people think. (Yes, I do know the answer.)

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Permalink Reply by Curt Thompson on April 1, 2008 at 4:01pm

Is it Coffee? I have a Bat Chief that insists on putting 24 oz in a 12 oz cup then walk down the hall like some 2 year old trying to find a bathroom. No most incidents involve a hydorcarbon typically Gasoline. The numbers are usually consistant year after year. According to the NRC there was over 100,000 gallons spilled in the US from 1999-2004 at both fixed and mobile incidents.

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Permalink Reply by Brent Sanger on April 1, 2008 at 8:29pm

Depending on who brews the coffee, it may qualify as a hazardous substance. lol. Yeah, it's gasoline, and you would be surprised how many people, because it's so common, do not regard it as a hazmat incident. Of course, the RQ for gas is pretty high, so that may be part of it.

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