Hazardous materials are all around us and are involved in every fire call these days, but for those deemed as particular haz-mat incidents there is one word describing the fire service's response mode - patience.
 Hazardous materials are all around us and are involved in every fire call these days, but for those deemed as particular haz-mat incidents there is one word describing the fire service's response mode - patience. A hazardous materials call is going to require lots of patience and it is not going to be worked on immediately without first determining what type of hazardous material is involved, what type of response is required and how it will be mitigated safely.
Getting it organized first, including setting up a decontamination area before beginning any response, is imperative before ploughing ahead and possibly creating more of a problem than what you began with. Stand back, examine the scene and build your plan carefully.
With the need for a wide variety of equipment needed for the myriad of scenarios that may be encountered in a hazardous material incident, many departments have developed a specific vehicle for haz-mat response. One example is the haz-mat trailer designed by the Vaudreuil-Dorion (Que.) Fire Department (see story beginning on page 12). This department worked within its resources and enlisted the aid of the private sector in their community to outfit such a trailer.
Fire fighters may use elevators for emergency operations in high-rise incidents and departments need strict procedures for the safety of their personnel during such operations. Capt. Dan Cook of Coquitlam (B.C.) Fire Rescue has been working with the industry and the standards committees on both sides of the border in updating and harmonizing the codes relating to emergency procedures when using elevators. His detailed report begins on page 24.
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