The security of chemical facilities has been a concern since Sept. 11, 2001, as has the security of chemicals and other hazardous materials being transported by truck, rail and barge. The Department of Homeland Security finalized its long-awaited chemical security regulations in late 2007. These standards are intended to prevent terrorists from accessing and using hazardous chemicals.

Terrorist threats aside, the nation's transportation system is particularly vulnerable with respect to chemicals and other hazardous materials. Each day, millions of tons of hazardous materials are transported across more than 200,000 miles of highway, track and inland waterways.

Modeling scenarios predict a serious chemical disaster could result in hundreds to a few thousand casualties depending on level of toxicity, length of exposure, atmospheric dispersion and persistence. In the event of a truck or rail accident involving a toxic chemical, there would be clear and imminent danger to the operator, emergency response teams and the surrounding communities.

Unfortunately, many of these chemicals are highly toxic, and there are no antidotes to treat individuals who have been poisoned. The good news is that for some of the most-toxic chemicals — organophosphorus nerve agents and pesticides commonly used in agriculture — antidotes are available for first responders. This is significant, because organophosphate pesticides like malathion and parathion could pose as great a threat as the 1995 sarin attack on a Tokyo subway by the Aum Shinrikyo cult.

In the event of an accident involving an organophosphorus nerve agent, individuals who have been poisoned may have only minutes to receive the antidote, and emergency medical personnel may be unable to assist everyone in need. Given the rapidity of symptom onset and the logistical challenges of providing immediate medical assistance to potentially large numbers of victims, the response is likely to be too little, too late — particularly if the antidote is not readily available. To further complicate matters, federal government stockpiles of chemical nerve agent antidotes would not be accessible for immediate use.

There are barriers to EMS readiness, especially for large-scale incidents such as natural disasters and terrorist attacks. According to the Center for Catastrophe Preparedness and Response, these barriers have been linked to gaps in federal funding, education and training, equipment and supplies, and planning and coordination between agencies.

In a 2003 report, “Community Views of Safety and Health Risks and Personal Protection Needs,” most first responders reported feeling vastly under-prepared and under-protected for a disaster involving a chemical, biological or radiological agent or weapon. And the level of personal protection equipment available to emergency responders for these threats varies widely by region and service.

First-line antidotes for organophosphorus nerve agent poisoning have been supplied to state and local first responders since the 1990s. Fire chiefs should review chemical disaster response protocols to ensure antidotes and personal protective equipment are easily and quickly accessible to first responders. It also important for chiefs to evaluate the inventory of antidotes in local stockpiles and on ambulances to ensure there is an adequate, in-date supply.

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Jerome Hauer is former assistant secretary for Public Health Emergency Preparedness at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. He also served as director of emergency management for New York City, and as Indiana's director of Emergency Medical Services and Fire Services. Hauer is CEO of The Hauer Group.

Responding Through Training

The Federal Emergency Management Agency's Center for Domestic Preparedness opened its training center in June 1998. Since then, more than 390,000 emergency responders have participated in the multi-disciplinary training courses at the center.

Nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in Anniston, Ala., the training center has more than 30 courses that offer everything from radiation contamination and incident response training to pandemic influenza and healthcare emergency management.

The majority of CDP resident and nonresident training courses are interdisciplinary. This promotes greater understanding among diverse disciplines such as emergency management, EMS, fire service, governmental administrative, hazmat, health care, law enforcement, public health, public safety communications and public works.

The center is home to the nation's only toxic chemical training facility for emergency responders. The faculty and students refer to the training site as the COBRATF, which stands for Chemical, Ordnance, Biological and Radiological Training Facility. The COBRATF features civilian training exercises in a true toxic environment, using chemical agents.

“We don't just teach from a manual,” says Mellione Richards, manager for three core courses involving hazardous materials. “The students train like they fight, using the proper equipment and procedures. Times are changing and our students want this training in order to be more prepared and to save lives.”

Although practical application with toxic agents is a highlight of some courses, classroom instruction offers expert advice from instructors and students who have served on the front lines.

Instructors at the CDP must have a minimum of 10 years of emergency responder experience before they are considered for a position. Each instructor is selected based on experience, knowledge of the national response elements and ability to teach.

The cost to attend CDP training courses is minimal for qualified responders, as DHS picks up the tab for travel, meals and lodging. For more information, visit http://cdp.dhs.gov or call 866-213-9553.