Scottsdale AZ – Interesting call worth sharing to keep everyone safe. Â Jeff Zientek, HazMat Captain and author of the very easy to use HazMat Field Operations Guide shared the following information.
The dispatch was for a hazardous situation and this is what the Engine Company found.
Captain Zientek asks the question:
Does this send off any alarm bells for you as a company officer, hazmat tech, firefighter? What do you think you have?
Something that looks this benign could be an asphyxiation chemical suicide, theft of gas for illegal activity, or other nefarious situation. Â In this case the company officer needs to consider if there is any imminent rescue and contact law enforcement for assistance. Â “Because we thought of criminal activity, we cannot go in and asses the situation until PD clears it” reports Zientek.
As the crew were going though their options someone answered the door and explained what was going on. Â The pictures reveal that the homeowner was ‘borrowing’ gas from a neighbor since theirs had been turned off.
Here are some of Jeff’s recommendations:
PPE for this is structural turnouts and SCBA’s with meters to check for % and/or ppm of gas concentration. Level A would not be the best choice because of the flammability of the product. We need to asses the chemical & physical properties of hazardous substances to come up with our proper choices for equipment.
We appreciate Captain Zientek’s devotion to training and Battalion Chief Clint Steeves for the pictures. Â This is an excellent learning scenario to share with your crew.
The HazMat Response Field Operations Guide is a must have – keep it next to your ERG.
