Feature Article How to Teach the ERG By Joshua Fowler In the field of hazmat, there is no publication more ubiquitous than the Emergency Response Guidebook. It is taught at nearly every basic hazmat and firefighter hazmat class, is carried on most fire rigs and is the go-to source for first-arriving officers at a hazmat incident. It has even been converted into […] Written by Josh Fowler March 31, 2023March 31, 2023
Feature Article Important Releases How to Manage a Train Wreck and other ‘Big Ones’ By Rick Edinger Recent events including the earthquake in Turkey and the train derailment in Ohio should serve to remind public safety organizations that significant incidents can strike anywhere at any time. These are not limited to big cities or certain geographic areas. In the American fire service, such events are referred to as “the […] Written by Staff Writer February 23, 2023February 23, 2023
Feature Article Important Releases How to Understand the Biological Weapons Threat: Part 4 By Kevin Ryan Hazmat responders had to adapt and overcome the biological threat in response to the events of September 11, 2001. More than 20 years later, the words virus, bacteria and toxin are a part of every hazmat tech’s vocabulary and training material. New equipment and procedures allow for a reasonably rapid determination of the […] Written by Kevin Ryan January 6, 2023January 6, 2023
Feature Article Authors Discuss how Hazmat Textbook Updates Tackle Modern Threats Greg Noll and Mike Hildebrand teamed up again to update “Hazardous Materials: Managing the Incident 5th Edition” that was released earlier this year. While they may be humble about their contributions to the hazmat world, most of us recognize them for the rock stars they are. For those unfamiliar with Hildebrand and Noll, here’s their […] Written by Phil Ambrose December 23, 2022January 30, 2023
Feature Article General Important Releases Training How to Understand the Biological Weapons Threat: Part 3 By Kevin Ryan September 2001 presented a new threat that had to be learned from the ground up. Very little knowledge in the emergency response world focused on these types of threats. New techniques, equipment, methods and training had to be developed to respond to these “white powders,” We are seeing the same evolution with […] Written by Kevin Ryan December 8, 2022December 26, 2022
Feature Article Do These 5 Things to be a Better Hazmat Instructor By Rick Markley Berrien County, Michigan recently hosted an invitation-only educational symposium for fire service instructors. And while the topics were not geared specifically for hazmat instruction, many of the key lessons have carryover to hazmat training. Joe Knitter is a retired fire chief from Wisconsin who has nearly two decades of teaching fire service […] Written by Rick Markley November 11, 2022November 11, 2022
Feature Article Training How to Understand the Biological Weapons Threat: Part 2 This is the second of a three-part series on biological weapons response for hazmat teams By Kevin Ryan Part I of this series focused on defining biological weapons, understanding their threat levels and lab safety as well as getting some quick history of these weapons. The next step is to recognize when an attack is […] Written by Kevin Ryan August 26, 2022December 26, 2022
Feature Article Training How to Understand the Biological Weapons Threat This is the first of a three-part series examining the threat biological weapons pose to hazmat teams By Kevin Ryan Biological weapons continue to be a threat in the United States and abroad. They form a subset of a larger class of weapons sometimes referred to as unconventional weapons or weapons of mass destruction, which […] Written by Kevin Ryan August 18, 2022December 26, 2022
Feature Article 6 Chemical Suicides Your Hazmat Crew Needs to Prep for By Kevin Ryan The Baltimore City Fire Department recently encountered a hydrogen sulfide suicide in a vehicle in the southwest portion of the city. BCFD has not seen many of these in the past 5 years. The first-in suppression officer quickly recognized the situation and requested hazmat. The notification immediately set up the incident for […] Written by Kevin Ryan June 30, 2022July 1, 2022