Hazardous Material Identification System (HMIS)

| Describe how and when the different types of fire extinguishers, relevant to the given occupation, are used in accordance with legislation and official guidance.QCF641. 3.7 & 3.8

In order to mitigate exposure to harmful substances, first responders are trained to be familiar with hazardous substance identification systems. These two systems are the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) 704 system, and the Department of Transportation (DOT) HAZMAT identification system (Weekly reading; Unit 2: Hazardous Materials Identification Systems). Deadly threats exist in the aftermath of any terrorist attacks, so first responders should be aware of these systems, and the dangers they will face.

Local protective measure planning equips first responders with the knowledge needed to organize efficient response results in the event of an emergency. Structured open dialogue between local emergency jurisdictions enables responders to delegate the appropriate individuals and equipment resources to the impacted local areas requiring the most aid following a terror event. By establishing a streamlined communication framework, local emergency responders can collaborate their efforts and resources to promote collective well-being. When a local emergency plan specifies what responders and resources belong where and at what time, response overlap and shortages can be avoided. Unionized response action established prior to a terrorist incident, serves to mitigate the risks, hazards and threat of injury or harm the people and property of the US face when a terrorism event occurs. Furthermore, a structured local emergency operations plan for a hazardous materials incident involving a terrorist is imperative to public health and safety, as the blueprint outlines protective measures the public can follow to minimize their exposure to dangerous substances. The people of a community affected by a terror event can be warned and notified of the event’s associated dangerous materials, which threaten their well-being, through a variety of methods such as warning sirens or horns, emergency alert systems, automated

National Response Plan Howard L. Hayes Saint Leo University Abstract Why is it necessary for our country to have an effective emergency plan in place? Why does it matter how the country responds to emergencies when every part of our country, including cities and states, face emergency situations on a daily basis all over? Some are bad to worse, and some horrific to deadly. Well, this paper explains the importance of the National Response Plan and why it is necessary for our country to have it in place. It explores several articles that have been published to show the results on the effectiveness and response of the National Response Plan. The National Response Framework, previously called The National Response Plan, is a plan that the United States put in effect to organize the way the country and the community handles attacks, disasters, as well as all events looked at as an emergency. The Response Plan relays and describes all the information in order to avoid catastrophic damages and to protect and save lives. The plan focuses on how the country as a whole can work together to prepare for damaging events. Morover, the plan doesn 't always seem to be effective as it is expected to be. Issues arose at the time it is most needed, which causes necessary changes to take effect immediately. Sometimes the damage is already done and that could be due to economic collapse, being unprepared, and failure to respond appropriately. The National Response Framework replaced the National

The National Incident Management System is a systematic guideline on how to effectively plan, mitigate, respond and recover, from significant incidences especially those that encompass diverse interest and involves all levels of governments. It works hand in hand with the National Response Framework, which provides structure for incident management while NIMS provide the guide for all departments and agencies at all levels of government, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector to work flawlessly during incident management to reduce loss of life and property (U. S. Department of Homeland Security, 2008). The core aspect of the National Incident Management System during incident response is the Incident Command System (ICS),

Retrieved from https://www.fema.gov/pdf/emergency/nims/NIMS_core.pdf/ Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2002). Managing the Emergency Consequences of Terrorist Incidents. Retrieved from http://ct2learn.com/els/resources/documents/managing-emergency-consequences-terrorist-incidents/ Newman, G.R. & Clarke, R.V. United States Department of Justice.

Two specific areas of concern are noted in the majority of studies conducted. The first area of concern was that there was not a clear delineation of roles and responsibilities or organizational leaders (Haddow et al., 2014, p. 322). Since this event this has been an area that has shown considerable improvement. This has been accomplished through the use of NIMS and collaborative efforts of first responder leaders to craft an all hazards model of response. By doing both of these things, partner agencies are better able to fold into the rescue

Application of deconfliction concepts. A basic expectation of citizens in developed countries is that their governmental agencies employed in the event of massive emergency situations or natural disasters are able to respond rapidly and effectively. The policy stance for building capacity to manage massive destruction threats and their aftermath rests on three pillars: Establish a common language (definitions), delineate and deconflict interagency functioning (plans, roles, and responsibilities), and establish a clearly defined and streamlined response channel. Not surprisingly, interagency response capabilities are not always sufficiently efficient or effective. The national experience with regard to Hurricane Katrina illustrates the difficulty of proving swift, comprehensive responses.

There are several recognizable and common types of technological hazards that first responders have to respond to on a daily basis. They are structural fires, transportation accidents, infrastructure failures, dam failures, hazardous material incidents, and nuclear accidents [7]. Each of these follows the common theme of being a product of the environment that was created by man and considered accidents. Terrorism hazards are sometimes referred to as intentional hazards. They are planned and orchestrated to created destruction. As previously discussed CNRBE covers this area. Other more specific hazards in this category are conventional explosives and secondary devise and chemical agents. These have had the largest link to terrorism hazards so far. The difficulty on predicting what chemical agents will be used decreases the success of trained first responders because the number of potential combination of

Saving lives, and mitigating suffering is the cornerstone for mass casualty decontamination (MCD). Imagine if you will, a nuclear chemical plant suddenly erupts within the United States. As a result, desecration to infrastructure and loss of lives. Additionally, there are thousands of people who are contaminated with the fallout radiation particles. MCD is not an ingrained skill; rather it 's a developed technique that is highly valued and its practical application is critical to the sustainment of human lives. MCD is a challenging concept with numerous steps to produce the desired ending result. At the forefront, are lane schematics and problematic areas that will hinder MCD.

As the Disaster Coordinator for the city I am responsible for ensuring the public safety and welfare of the citizens within the city's jurisdiction. This requires me to have a full understanding on my role and responsibilities for managing disaster response and employing resources in order to save lives, protect property, the environment. Additionally I’m tasked to preserve the less tangible but equally important social, economic and political structures. My first reaction was to alert the regional Joint Terrorism Task Force to prepare them for possible activation. Next it is vital to gain situational awareness and develop a Common Operating Picture (COP). This COP is the who, what, where, when and how as it relates to the incident. Situational awareness starts at the incident site and includes continuous monitoring of reporting channels to gain

Hazardous materials releases can occur in any location and time. The potential of a release is dependent on the volume, distribution, and use of the hazardous substances within a particular area. Hazard identification, planning, and response preparedness is an ongoing process and must be addressed through a cooperative partnership between the public and private sectors (Washoe County LEPC, 2006).

In the article “Know the Smells and Warning Bells of WMD”, the author, John Linstrom’s principal point is that the fire departments should better prepare to respond to incidents involving weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Historically, explosive or WMD incidents were handled by law enforcement, while fire assumed a support role, but with increased terroristic occurrences, firefighters have been finding themselves in situations where they have been first on scene. Mr. Linstrom stresses that firefighters need to be mindful of the threat of explosives and WMD’s when responding to incidents (Linstrom, 2004). Firefighters need to familiarize themselves with terrorist tactics and beware of potential high-risk

The transition of duty service, which happened less than a week after home made bombs burst in New York and New Jersey, injuring 29 people, underscores the vital role the Hazardous Devices School (HDS) plays in the state’s national security. Local bomb technologies who received their training at the HDS left safe some of the unexploded devices in last weekend’s event.

3. “Hazardous materials” are “any chemical substance or material that can pose a threat to the health, safety and property of an individual.” (Emergency Medical Response, 2011, p.613) Common hazmat items found in Portland are chlorine, ammonia, sulfuric acid, paraffin wax, potassium chloride, and oil.