At a time when national attention is keenly focused on the security of hazardous materials, the Spill Center, a company specializing in hazmat incident management, has introduced an integrated communications system that can save critical time during hazmat emergencies.

Combining satellite-tracking technology, wireless communications and online access to specialized databases, the system will enable public responders and companies having care, custody and control of hazardous materials to make better decisions in the management of spills, according to Tom Moses, an environmental attorney and Spill Center president.

Spill Center has applied for a patent on the new Electronic Emergency Response Management System. Based on Spill Center's proprietary online spill management system and extensive databases, the system offers spill generators and responders fast access to information needed to expedite response and remediation of hazmat spills.

“At no time in our country's history has the need been greater to plan and work diligently to make better response and remediation resources available more quickly,” Moses says. He has written a white paper about the system, “New Technology and Systems for Emergency Response in an Era of Counterterrorism.” The paper is available at no charge from the Spill Center.

Wireless benefits

The system was demonstrated for the first time during a recent hazmat training conference conducted by the Department of Transportation's Research and Special Programs Administration. Participants included fleet safety managers, emergency responders and law enforcement personnel.

As part of the demonstration, representatives from wireless messaging companies discussed how satellite tracking and wireless communications are able to tie into Spill Center's Electronic Emergency Response Management System. Spill Center personnel demonstrated electronic spill reporting systems and technologies, online contingency planning capabilities and response management systems.

Wireless systems enable a driver to send an instant alert. Routed electronically, the message would be received at Spill Center, which would notify emergency responders, providing the exact location of the vehicle and additional details as they become known. Vehicle tracking technology also could be configured to determine if a hazmat delivery has been delayed or a route changed for some unexplained reason.

To demonstrate the benefits for emergency responders in Massachusetts, the Spill Center developed a prototypical system that includes a specialized database for emergency equipment inventories. The system can locate emergency response units in real time and facilitate communication and coordination for first responders and law enforcement officials. An assessment can be made as to which units are available to respond to a particular incident in the quickest time.

“We can enable every fire service and hazmat response company in the Commonwealth to go online, identify themselves, complete a survey about their response capabilities and list their equipment inventories,” Moses says.

“Each response unit would be equipped with an onboard transponder that emits a unique, identifiable signal to track its location. A computer-generated map would show where the units are at all times. We'll keep track of the location of all this equipment throughout Massachusetts and enable emergency responders to search the databases when they need assistance or additional equipment.”

Spill Center protocols

One Spill Center database has the names of nearly 4,000 qualified cleanup contractors throughout North America. Each listing provides the contractor's statement of qualifications, equipment list, fee schedule, insurance certificate and transportation references. Another database contains local, state and federal reporting requirements for hazmat incidents.

As part of the nationwide effort to improve hazmat security, local and state regulatory agencies are becoming more strict about enforcement of spill notification requirements, according to Moses. Texas requires spill generators to report incidents within one hour of a spill. A county in Ohio has a 30-minute reporting requirement. Transporters sometimes don't find out these requirements until a notice arrives by mail stating the company is in violation for failure to report.

When the Spill Center is notified of a hazmat spill, such as diesel fuel, a compliance associate activates the client's prefiled spill contingency plan, which is a set of detailed claimhandling instructions that are customized to meet the client's individual requirements. The contingency plan indicates which people in the client organization are to be notified. It also triggers the appropriate internal and external reports and lists preferred contractors.

Because time is of the essence when an emergency occurs, the Spill Center is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for spill generators and responders. Spill generators notify the Spill Center by telephone or via the Internet. Calls also come in through the Chemical Transportation Emergency Center.

“With the addition of our new electronic system, we can offer even more tools for managing response and remediation,” Moses says. “This gives government agencies access to resources they need, while providing industry the level of control they want to limit liability and minimize damages to valuable equipment and cargoes.”

CHEMTREC tracking

For more than 30 years, chemtrec has been providing the crucial information needed to assist emergency response personnel in handling hazmat incidents in the safest possible manner.

On average, chemtrec handles 22,000 hazmat incidents annually. The organization receives 150 calls a day, all of them handled by a skilled team of emergency specialists with access to a database of 2.8 million material safety data sheets.

chemtrec capabilities were significantly enhanced over the past year. The chemtrec call center in Arlington, Va., was completely renovated to accommodate additional on-duty emergency services specialists and technology upgrades to support the call center operations. Seven specialists now work in the call center, with three to four per shift.

“Our call volume has picked up, and we needed room for more work stations,” chemtrec managing director Timothy P. Butters say. “We're getting calls on hazmat issues from all over the world.”

Upgrades included improvements in the msds storage and retrieval system to allow better management of the growing database of technical documents. In addition, the msds department installed some of the newest technology to provide faster indexing and scanning, including the ability to auto-index pdf, text and word processing documents.

“The upgrades we've made allow for broader, faster searches with a higher retrieval rate,” says Christine Chroniger, chemtrec msds manager. “This storage system provides more up time for the emergency center during routine maintenance and repair.”

chemtrec was established in 1971 by the chemical industry as a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week public service to provide firefighters, law enforcement, and other emergency responders with information and assistance in dealing with hazmat incidents. chemtrec was established by the American Chemistry Council, which was called the Chemical Manufacturers Association at the time.

A broad range of services is provided through chemtrec. This includes specialized medical assistance from chemical manufacturers, shippers, poison control centers or medical experts under contract to chemtrec.

Chemical companies must pay an annual subscription fee to register with the chemtrec system. This enables them to print the chemtrec 800 number on bills of lading and other shipping documents. Trucking companies are allowed to post the toll-free telephone number on trucks and trailers at no cost.

The 800 number, 800-424-9300, has caused some confusion. chemtrec officials stress that the number is just for emergencies, not for customer service. When the chemtrec phone number is listed on paperwork, such as msds, invoices and labels, it's important to state clearly that this is an emergency number. Placement of a customer-service phone number near the company name can help solve the problem.

The hazmat emergency clearinghouse also manages the chemical industry's mutual aid emergency response network. Chemnet was established to provide chemical shippers with timely emergency response and technical assistance at the scene of chemical transportation incidents. The network is comprised of emergency response teams from participating chemical companies and teams provided by contractors.

When calls for help come in, chemtrec's specialists provide immediate assistance and can link emergency responders in the field with shipper or product manufacturers. The specialists provide technical information to responders, along with important medical support information.

chemtrec has been a success over the past 30 years, not just in the United States but also around the world. It has served as a model for organizations in other regions, including Europe and Asia.

“We're encouraging a network of chemtrec-like centers around the globe,” says Randy Speight of ACC Distribution, who also is a chemtrec team leader. “chemtrec's role will be to provide leadership, advice, and the benefit of 30 years of experience to those countries and companies that choose to set up similar systems.”

Canada's CHEMTREC

Canutec, the Canadian Transport Emergency Centre, is Canada's counterpart to chemtrec. Operated by Transport Canada, Canutec is staffed by scientists specialized in emergency response and experienced in interpreting technical information and providing advice.

Canutec deals with somewhere around 30,000 calls a year, about 1,000 of which require an emergency report. Assistance can be provided in English or French. The Canutec database contains information on more than 750,000 commercial chemicals and other products.

One of Canutec's most important services to emergency responders is an online version of the Emergency Response Guidebook, an invaluable resource that can be accessed at <www.tc.gc.ca/canutec/erg_gmu/erg2000_menu.htm>. A downloadable version of the guidebook also is available. erg information is posted in English, French and Spanish.

Canutec is available at <www.tc.gc.ca/CANUTEC/en/menu.htm>.