|
|
Richard Marinucci |
Incidents involving hazardous materials are handled much differently than the majority of calls to which fire departments respond.
To most firefighters, the response to incidents involving hazardous materials is very slow and methodical - not what many firefighters expected when they signed on for the job. But, experience and regulations have shown that this approach is best. Reprogramming personnel to respond in this manner is necessary and important so that the incident is handled properly. There is a great deal of training, education, practice, and discipline necessary for the entire department. The infrequency of these events makes this more challenging, so an organization’s leadership must constantly make everyone aware of the methods necessary to be successful.
Hazmat Philosophy
In recent years, the fire service has approached risk management during incidents by adopting a philosophy to risk a lot to save a lot, risk a little to save a little, and risk nothing so save nothing. There may be some variation on the wording, but the thought is that firefighters should not be endangered for anything that is worthless. For the big risks, firefighters generally act on their previous experiences, using recognition and prime decision making, and take little time to ponder the situation. In contrast to this, responders to known hazmat events will slow down and gather as much information as possible before deciding to act. This will include research, planning, and safety considerations. The dangers present at fires and hazmat incidents are real, but firefighters will take more risks at a fire. This could be a result of less experience and more preparation regarding the proper way to handle the event. It could also be because of strict regulations that specify certain actions and approaches for this work.
For most firefighters, there is not much history regarding hazmat incident response. They have not had any time to build up any recognition prime decision making through response or from vicarious learning through those who have preceded them. This contrasts fire response where “probies” can learn from their elders, though this can be good or bad depending on the experiences of the senior person. Since hazmat responses are infrequent, there is not much first-hand knowledge or skill to pass on. To add to the challenges, modern hazmat response is in its relative infancy. The service continues to evolve based on lessons learned and improved science.
Preparation
So, the challenge to fire departments is to be prepared for incidents that are very infrequent but have significant consequences if not handled properly. This preparation must also include a “reprogramming” of firefighters from their “all ahead full” approach to their regular and routine calls. For whatever reason, many firefighters have no interest in hazmat responses, as they would prefer to hand them over to specialists. They have no desire to delve too deeply into the area and are not generally motivated to learn more than the bare minimum. They also are challenged to maintain their skills in many other areas, so time can be a factor. If something is to fall off the training agenda, it is likely to be items of minimal interest.
In basic recruit school, firefighters are given some of the basics of hazmat responses. For example, those in training for Firefighter I and II are also given hazmat awareness and operations classes (at least in Michigan). Regulations require continuing education in some of the basics to maintain k