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Comment by Shawn on April 21, 2012 at 9:41am

Friendly Reminder To Get Ready For ERG 2012

Four years have passed since the U.S. Department of Transportation released the Emergency Response Guide 2008 which means that it's now time for a new edition of the ERG.

 

Like a trusty sidekick, the ERG should always be on your person or at least not very far from you if there is a possibility that the work you do will have you confronted with a HAZMAT incident at some point.

 

The Emergency Response Guide 2012 is due to come out very soon so be sure to make the switch from your ERG 2008 for the 2012 version.

 

There are some notable changes in the upcoming 2012 version that are not in the 2008 version. According to the U.S. Dept. of Transportation those changes include:

• Added Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion (BLEVE) chart to Fire and Spill Control section
• Added an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) safe standoff distances chart to criminal/terrorist section

As well as several other notable changes. A summary of all the new changes can be seen at this link: 

http://phmsa.dot.gov/staticfiles/PHMSA/DownloadableFiles/Hazmat/hzm...

 

Another notable change involves the apperance of the ERG itself. There has been talk that the ERG 2012 will have the same cover style that it has always had (see below):

 

But there is also conflicting talk that the cover style of the ERG 2012 will be new and completely different (see below):

Either way, regardless of the cover that is finally chosen for the ERG 2012, the content inside will be different from the prior version which is why it is important to get it. Even if you don't get the ERG 2012 right away and continue to use the 2008 version for awhile, you should really make it a priority to obtain the 2012 version as soon as possible.

Comment by Shawn on April 16, 2012 at 10:48pm

International Hazardous Materials Response Team Conference

The International Hazardous Materials Response Team Conference is taking place at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront in Baltimore, Maryland.

 

The conference begins May 17 and continues until May 20th. The conference is sponsored by the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IACF) and highlights the latest trends in HAZMATemergency response, training and equipment.

 

Emergency responders serving in fire departments, the private industry, Dept. of EnvironmentalProtection, the federal government and various other agencies are expected to attend this event. The large number of individuals and organizations means that there will be plenty of opportunities to network.

 

Wednesday, April 18, is the last day for early registration. Those who register early for the conference are able to attend at a cheaper rate rather than those who end up having to pay extra to attend because they missed early registration.

 

*Assessing Damage to Rail Tank Cars
*What Every Hazmat Leader Needs to Know to be Successful

*Emergency Response to Hydrogen Peroxide Incidents
*Geographic Information System (GIS) technology for Hazmat Preparedness and Response
*The History of Hazmat
*The Once in a Career Event
*Chemical Suicides: Information for the First Responder
*Hazmat Prevention for K-12 Schools

*HAZMAT teams and bomb threats/explosive devices

 

As well as many other workshops besides the ones listed here.

 

Even if you aren't able to make early registration and have to pay full price, the conference still sounds like it is very much worth attending. The 2012 conference is shaping up to be the best on record.

 

Those with IAFC membership pay less than those without membership whether for early or regular registration. However, there are scholarships available for those who are unable to pay full price for the conference.

 

For those who are interested in attending they can find out more at:

http://s36.a2zinc.net/clients/iafc/hazmat12/public/enter.aspx

Comment by Shawn on July 19, 2011 at 8:21am

For those of you living in or around York County in the state of Pennsylvania, the York County Hazardous Materials Response team is desperately in need of new members.

The team is going through a dire crisis directly related to manpower shortages and may have to disband if it cannot increase it's ranks.

In 2004, the team had 54 members while today it only has 20 members. The team requires at least 10 members per call.

The team is entirely made up of volunteers.

York County HAZMAT is a highly trained and equiped team under the command of the County of York Department of Emergency Services.

If the team's ranks continue to drop in number, the team will be disbanded and a HAZMAT team from a neighboring county will be tasked with handling HAZMAT incidents in York County.

Of course, waiting for a HAZMAT team from another county could allow a toxic substances to spread and endanger property, the environment and lives.

If you live in the area and want to be apart of a HAZMAT team, here is your opportunity.

Those with questions about joining or wanting to offer assistance are encouraged to call Tom Graybill at (717)840-2913.

The following are helpful links to the team's home page and a news article on the situation:

*York County HMRT: www.ycdes.org/index.php/oem/hazmat

*CBS News 21 - York Co. hazmat team needs volunteers: http://www.whptv.com/news/local/story/York-Co-hazmat-team-needs-vol...

Comment by Sean Coutorie on July 18, 2011 at 10:00am

Kevin, look here http://www.tcfp.texas.gov//manuals/curriculum_manual/chapter_6.pdf
this is our state's requirements and curriculum

Comment by Kevin Schulz on May 4, 2011 at 12:13am

Looking for a great hazmat awareness, ops and tech powerpoints and lecture. Can anybody help?

Thanks,

Kevin

sbfd326@gmail.com

Comment by Norm Spence on April 23, 2010 at 1:34am

check out this web site for some good ideas:

http://www.vententersearch.com/tips.htm

Comment by Bruce C Ziebarth on October 30, 2009 at 12:23pm

I started this group awhile ago. I always meant to put a better logo up for the group. Does anyone have any ideas for a good group logo?

Comment by Kenneth Johnson on July 29, 2009 at 11:23pm

Mr. Casto, thanks for your post. I think our top pulse rate cannot be over 100 bpm, and our highest systolic BP cannot be over 90. Research this some more, and see what others are saying. Ask your Emergency Medical Director in your county or jurisdiction. If I find more, I will post again.

Comment by Kenneth Johnson on June 7, 2009 at 9:23pm

Story for Brian Jones, and anyone else,
Many years ago, our team was getting ready to suit up in Level A suits to go in and stop a leak on a chlorine rail car. We had our suits on up to our waists, and were undergoing medical monitoring and getting our vital signs taken. All of a sudden, a guy comes bursting into the room we were in and jumps over about 3 of us to get to a valve that needed closing quickly. All of our pulse rates and B/P's went out the top. Hardly anyone had vital signs low enough to finish suiting up and make entry. We did get the leak stopped, though.

Comment by Kenneth Johnson on June 3, 2009 at 8:58pm

Anyone out there use Drager tubes for testing concentration levels of haz-mats ?

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