Wednesday, February 8, 2012
No Time to Waste
By Geoffrey A. Brown
What to do when 10 tons of a highly volatile chemical are spilled near a commuter rail line....
Only a Matter of Time
By Mary Rose Roberts (maryrose.roberts@penton.com)
Fire departments need to be prepared for incidents that were beyond imagination a few decades ago. Fortunately, training resources are available that will help them know what to do — and how to do it — should their greatest nightmares occur....
Global Tragedy Foreshadows Domestic Hazmat Needs
By Mary Rose Roberts (maryrose.roberts@penton.com)
As hazmat chief for Harris County, Texas, Robert Royall ensures the marshal’s office can response to CBRN events, especially in the Port of Houston. ...
New Product Helps Hazmat Responders Comply with EPA Anthrax-Remediation Regs (with Related Video)
By Mary Rose Roberts (maryrose.roberts@penton.com)
STERIPLEX Ultra kills anthrax spores in 30 minutes....
DHS Demonstrates Cell Phone–Based Chemical Detector (with Related Video)
By Mary Rose Roberts (maryrose.roberts@penton.com)
The Department of Homeland Security’s Science & Technology Directorate demonstrated in front of invited media and webcast guests the first-ever cell phone capable of detecting life-threatening chemical exposures, dubbed the Cell-All. ...
The Right Tool for the Job
By John Cassidy
The FDNY rethinks its approach to chemical protective clothing....
Lights, Camera, Action
By Randy Alva
A Hollywood approach to hazmat training results in a world-class, state-of-the-art facility....
DHS Reveals Final Allocations for $2.1 billion Worth of Grants
By Mary Rose Roberts (maryrose.roberts@penton.com)
In FY 2011, DHS grants were reduced by $780 million for the FY 2010 enacted level, nearly a one-quarter budget cut....
TSA Reports to Senate on U.S. Rail Vulnerabilities, Security Strategies
By Mary Rose Roberts (maryrose.roberts@penton.com)
The Transportation Security Administration’s John Pistole recently testified before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation on emerging threats facing the U.S. rail system. The administrator’s testimony emphasized TSA’s efforts to reduce security vulnerabilities and strengthen its resilience against terrorist attacks for all mass-transit systems, including ferries, trucks, and freight and passenger rail....
FEMA Rep Describes Role in Joplin Tornado Response (with Related Video)
By Mary Rose Roberts (maryrose.roberts@penton.com)
Within 12 hours, FEMA incident-management teams and eight mobile communication units were stationed in the city helping local responders, Carolyn Stonner said....
Ariz. Chiefs Take Proactive Role at Wallow Fire
By Janet Wilmoth (janet@firechief.com)
Because of the magnitude of the fire, the Arizona Fire Chiefs Association dispatched a representative to the Incident Command System. Not since the 2002 Rodeo-Chediski Fire burned more than 500,000 acres has the AFCA dispatched members to assist in a wildfire....
Don't be a Hero
By H. Brett Kilgore
Successful response to a potential bomb incident depends on knowing what to do and — more importantly — what not to do....
Before the Unthinkable Occurs
By Robert S. Cook
Every fire department nationwide lives with the possibility of a mass-fatality incident, but very few of them are prepared to handle such events — which are very different from anything else they experience. Here's what you can do to prepare for the day that everyone hopes to avoid....
Key MFI Response Components
A list of some of the things that you will deal with during a mass-fatality incident. ...
When 1 is Better Than 2
By Pat Martin
An Arizona fire department deploys a well-designed and well-stocked vehicle to streamline and improve its hazmat response. ...
Sweat Equity
By Stephen P. Rinaldi
The planning of full-scale drills and exercises is challenging, but the benefits will pay off in the end....
Fire Smoke Coalition Uses FP&S Grant to Educate Chiefs About Cyanide, CO Dangers
By Mary Rose Roberts
The group dubs CO and cyanide as the "toxic twins" of smoke inhalation because they are released from rubbers, plastics, synthetics, laminates and other materials found in modern-day residential structures and have deadly synergistic effects....
A Sticky Situation
By Glen D. Rudner
Here's what to do when faced with a mass-casualty decontamination event. The first step is not to wait for the hazmat team....
Weapon of Mass Protection
By John Donnelly
Agencies in the National Capital Region pool their resources to create a comprehensive, interoperable program to mitigate radiological and nuclear threats....
Wishing You a Vigilant New Year
By Janet Wilmoth (janet@firechief.com)
While receptive to growth, the economic downturn has hit hard in many departments. Consequently, chiefs must be vigilant in their search for potential working relationships with other local agencies and neighboring departments to enhance resources and services....
Trust Your Instincts
By William Lindsey and Michael DeNicola
If it looks like a meth lab and smells like a meth lab, it probably is a meth lab. ...
Web Portal Offers One-Stop Shop for Hazmat Information
By Mary Rose Roberts
The National Hazmat Fusion Center's portal includes training packages, reports, incident-based case studies, statistics, trends, alerts, recommendations and peer-to-peer networking....
RAE Systems' Software Gives Responders Mobile Access
By Mary Rose Roberts
ProRAE Guardian 1.0, aggregates, logs and displays sensor information that is transmitted wirelessly from RAE Systems' and select third-party detection instruments....
Hazmat Fusion Center Opens Web Portal
This free resource provides hazmat-response information, including training packages, reports, incident-based case studies, statistics, trends, alerts, recommendations and peer-to-peer networking....
Do-it-Yourself Decon
By Deric Weiss
Over the years, decontamination has evolved from a booster line and bucket for all situations to a variety of techniques for specific situations....
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