Normal practice in the city of Glendale, Ariz., and the surrounding cities in the valley had been for the hazmat team to respond in a fire engine, and then move personnel over as needed to a support truck that would carry all of the equipment needed for any specialized call dealing with hazardous materials.
Today, however, the Glendale Fire Department’s hazmat team responds in its own vehicle, built by SVI Trucks and featuring a Spartan cab with a 24-inch raised roof. Other features include the following:

• A 22-foot-long, aluminum walk-around/walk-in body
• A curbside electric awning
• Fourteen slide-out trays
• A slide-out tool board with adjustable shelving
• An electric reel with 150 feet of electrical cable
• Two side-recessed, 500-W scene lights
• A rear stairway with four upper compartments
• A roof-recessed, 20-kW diesel generator
• A command light

Perhaps the most important feature is that the all-in-one response vehicle has seating for six people, making it possible to have the crew respond in one apparatus. The rear cab area is raised by 24 inches to facilitate standing while operations take place in what will be used as a research area. A full-width, L-shaped desk combines with overhead cabinets, 120-volt lights, desktop consoles — equipped with radios, audio-visual gear, an intercom system, 12-volt power connections and three LCD monitors — a print/scan/copy/fax unit and a file cabinet to create a mobile office. A hazmat technician can sit at a desk, access information from a laptop computer, and still be safely seatbelted in place as the unit responds. Just behind the rear cab area is a 22-foot body that has walk-around outside storage, a stairway-accessible roof storage area, and inside walk-in command area.

The walk-in area of the body is accessed from the rear of the cab using a pass-through door. It contains an eight-foot-long slide-out command wall that has seating for two people. This area features stainless steel walls and countertops throughout, and contains the following: three LCD monitors; desktop consoles with radios, A/V, intercom and 12-volt power connections; overhead cabinets; a 120-volt load center; a refrigerator; a 120-volt power strip and outlets; and 12-volt and 120-volt lights.

Once the slide-out wall is in place, the inside work area is increased. Personnel have four large windows through which to view the scene and a climate-controlled environment for operations. All of the communications equipment is at the technicians’ fingertips and the images from the external camera system — which includes a bumper-mounted mast with Pelco camera — can be viewed on the overhead LCD screens. A Bosch DiBos 8 digital video recorder is used to store this sensitive information. Along with the command capabilities that the walk-in body affords the hazmat crew, there is the added benefit of climatized storage for all of the specialized equipment, as well as the team’s Level A entry suits.

SIDEBAR: Versatile Response Vehicle Serves as Temporary Morgue

On the curb side of the body is a pull-out LCD screen with a smart-board application. Overhead is a full-length awning, which is designed to be used as an outside gathering area for the crew for preparation, training or staging prior to making entry into a scene, and for evaluation and rehabilitation afterwards. While being protected from the direct sunlight, personnel can view on the LCD screen projected images from the mast camera that extends 40 feet above the scene. They also can peruse information gathered via the Internet, or view action plans that are drawn directly on the camera images using the smart-board technology.

Once the apparatus has been parked, the engineer deploys its “Big Foot” system in order to stabilize the vehicle. This is the same type of system used on large RVs to limit vehicle movement while personnel move about inside. With the vehicle stable, the slide-out wall can be deployed and the camera can be raised into place. The camera can be operated from outside using the 40-inch smart-board screen, or inside the command area. A weather station can be deployed quickly, which enables the forecasting and plotting of any chemical release. A command center or a research center can be implemented smoothly as needed.

The design of this hazmat response vehicle, and the sophisticated equipment it contains, has enhanced greatly the capabilities of the team and the service it delivers to valley residents.

Pat Martin is a captain with the Glendale (Ariz.) Fire Department.

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