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What Would You Do? -Suspicious Item-
You are the company officer on a jump company engine with a crew of three. The dispatcher calls you on the phone and tells you she’s received a report from a passer-by of a “suspicious-looking bottle” lying in the ditch in a rural portion of your response district. You tell her that you and your crew will head out and check on it.
After you arrive in the area, you begin your search of the ditch line, looking for a plastic bottle with a bright blue liquid in it. After a few moments, you find it and take a closer look.
It’s a clear two-liter pop bottle about 2/3 full of a bright blue liquid. Not Gatorade blue, but even “brighter”. You notice there’s no label on the bottle, but evidence that there had been at one time as it appears a paper label had been removed. There is a non-descript white twist cap closing up the bottle. Nothing else is nearby that would not otherwise be found in a roadway ditch.
It seems like the next call is yours here. What would you do with this incident?
John Mitchell is a Lieutenant on the Barrington (IL) fire department. He is a paramedic, fire and EMS instructor, certified fire investigator and Chicago Blackhawks fan. He is the editor of FireDaily.com.
After you arrive in the area, you begin your search of the ditch line, looking for a plastic bottle with a bright blue liquid in it. After a few moments, you find it and take a closer look.
It’s a clear two-liter pop bottle about 2/3 full of a bright blue liquid. Not Gatorade blue, but even “brighter”. You notice there’s no label on the bottle, but evidence that there had been at one time as it appears a paper label had been removed. There is a non-descript white twist cap closing up the bottle. Nothing else is nearby that would not otherwise be found in a roadway ditch.
It seems like the next call is yours here. What would you do with this incident?
John Mitchell is a Lieutenant on the Barrington (IL) fire department. He is a paramedic, fire and EMS instructor, certified fire investigator and Chicago Blackhawks fan. He is the editor of FireDaily.com.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jack/dt on
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Since there is no way to identify what the substance is and given the potential for it to be a haz-mat substance (or worse), would leave it be and call the state DEP and standby until they got on scene and let them handle it. It's either that or put it in the nearest trash can.
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Permalink Reply by Station10Capt106 on
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yep, what Jack said. secure the area and call hazmat. Let them come and do their magic. We will stand by in the cold zone next to our shiny Red (or blue or black or white or yellow) fire trucks looking pretty.
John
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Permalink Reply by Jason Brooks on
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Initial crews should have all PPE on and in place due to the lack of information on the initial identification.
Once determination is made of a possible hazmat, call the team out. Our team allows for three levels of response. HCO only for advise. Limited response, about 6 guys and the truck. Or full team. This would probably get an HCO and limited response.
Once we get on scene with the team, we need to meter the area and the bottle with at least a PID. What if this stuff is some sort of shock sensitive homemade device? What if it's washer fluid? Too many unknowns at this point. A pH swipe would be in order for sure. There is really no need to open it up and change the situation.
That which is in it's container, may stay in it's container!
If everything checks OK, overpack and let the clean up guys deal with it.
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Permalink Reply by Reg Mathis on
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What everybody else said and since it will be at LEAST 2 hours before EPD responds, I'd start looking through the ERG for a description of a bright blue liquid...
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Permalink Reply by Mike Gemberling on
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Call HAZMAT and law enforcement. My guess is it's a meth bottle. "Shake and Bake" is what they call it. The kids up here are using that method now to manufacture.
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From what I understand the contents of a 'shake and bake' meth bottle are brown.
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Permalink Reply by James Hawk on
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My crew should have already been in full ppe and on air on arrival .
follow ERG guide 111. isolate for 330 ft. around the area, notify haz-mat and dec
hope that it is only from someone who didn't like Mountain Dew
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Why are you isolating for 330 ft? There is no leak here, the product is in a container at this point. There truly is no hazard at this point other than the fact that there is a liquid of unknow origin in a bottle in a ditch. If you leave it alone, it will leave you alone. If you suspect anything to do with a meth lab, definitely do not move it, shake it, squeeze it, or open it. They like to boobie trap things. They are also potentially volatile.
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Permalink Reply by Fireyladd - Retired Chief Sharp on
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John, you would only be looking pretty in the first example, the shiny Red one. Unless perhaps your opening up that need to know idiotic discussion of "what color"?
And I agree with you and Jack, Contain the area, contact the State Hazmat team, stand by till their arrival and document.
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do you know for certain that there is no leak?
the substance could be changing into a colorless, oderless gas and be leaking from the cap if there is not a tight seal
better to be safe than sorry and evacuate
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Permalink Reply by Smoke Eater on
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absolutely
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