15_Spill Response SOP_20210708

CHAPEL HILL FIRE DEPARTMENT STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE -11
DRESCUE
Standard Operating Procedure No. 300-11
Subject: HAZ MAT Response
Revision Date: January 3, 2012 No. of Pages 1 of 4
Responsible Person: Deputy Chief of Operations
Approval:
Purpose: The purpose of this policy is to establish procedures and identify responsibilities for
first arriving units in any emergency involving hazardous materials. Our goal is to protect life,
property and the environment from the effects of a hazardous material release, fire, spill, leak, or
transportation incident.
Objectives
1. Recognition and identification of hazardous materials.
2. Establish a perimeter and evacuate if necessary. Gather information and notify
Orange County Emergency Management of the need for additional assets.
3. Adhere to regulations set forth in CRF 1910-120 OSHA.
Critical Information
Critical information to obtain during response to hazardous materials incidents:
— Is vapor cloud visible?
— What is the product or material? Is the product solid, liquid or gas? What color is
the product and is there any obvious type of action or reaction?
— Weather conditions.
— Type of vehicle, building, storage, container.
— Has the container been stressed or buckled?
— Placard information, if known.
— Identification of the caller, how he/she may be contacted.
— Exact location of the incident.
— Basic description of what occurred.
(1) Exact name of product spilled/released.

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(2) Approximate amount.
(3) Fire/no fire.
(4) Spill, leak, or release.
Requesting Assets
Additional assets, such as Town of Chapel Hill Public Works, County resources or
regional hazardous materials team response should be considered for request for these
incidents:
1. Spills involving hazardous chemicals or health hazards.
2. All hazardous materials incidents needing special shutoff or recovery equipment.
3. All fires involving chemicals or associated with chemicals.
4. When requested by the Incident Commander.
5. Consider that phone consultation with a technician may also be appropriate.
The first arriving fire company shall:
1. Stop and assess the incident from a distance. Initial exclusion zone 1000' if
product is unknown. Approach from upwind.
2. Avoid driving into or near vapor clouds.
3. Treat all containers as hazardous materials until proven otherwise.
4. Identify the hazardous material.
a. Use placards as a guideline only.
b. Get information from person(s) on the scene.
C. Material safety data sheet (MSDS).
d. Obtain shipping papers (give to command).
e. Physical characteristics: solid, gas or liquid, color of container, odor.
5. Inform other responding units of appropriate access routes.
6. Relay chemical name and identification number to Orange County
Communications.
7. Determine hazards of the chemical and the guidelines for handling. Constantly
re-evaluate.

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8. Determine whether close size -up (whether incident is outdoors or inside a
building) can safely be accomplished by fire personnel. If so:
a. Commit two personnel to size up emergency.
b. Wear full protective clothing and SCBA (on air).
C. Approach from upwind or most appropriate entry point.
d. Avoid contact with the hazardous material.
e. Assess problem quickly and return.
f. Extend hose line for decontamination.
9. If special protective clothing beyond structural PPE is needed do not enter. Await
the arrival of the Hazardous Materials Response Team.
10. It may be necessary to make an immediate rescue, but this should be done with
full awareness of the risk and completed with the minimum number of personnel
needed.
Protective Clothing
Safety
All on -scene fire department personnel shall don protective equipment and take all
necessary steps to avoid contamination of themselves, others, property, and the
environment. Minimum required protective equipment includes full turnout gear (coat,
pants, boots, gloves, helmet, and hood) and positive pressure breathing apparatus. All
personnel should remain upwind from the incident site and should not enter the hot zone.
In addition to personnel, all articles of clothing, equipment and apparatus that comes in
contact with contaminated or hazardous material or runoff from a contaminated area shall
be considered contaminated.
1. A safety officer will be established as soon as practical and will assess
involvement of personnel and make recommendations to command.
2. All personnel will wear full protective clothing including SCBA upon entry from
support zone unless otherwise authorized by command. Medical evaluation is
required for all personnel that may have been exposed.

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Control Zones
The hazardous materials incident area will be controlled by establishing three zones: hot,
warm and cold zones.
Hot Zones
This zone will be established by the first arriving officer. The hot zone is that
area in which the general population and personnel are potentially in immediate
danger from the hazardous material.
2. Warm Zone
The warm zone is that area immediately outside the hot zone where there is
decreased risk to personnel but still within the area of concern.
3. Cold Zone
The cold zone is the unrestricted area beyond the outer perimeter of the warm
zone. Although the cold zone is considered safe and the movement of persons is
considered unrestricted, with many incidents it may be prudent to keep the area
restricted to emergency service personnel and keep the public several hundred
feet beyond the outer perimeter of the warm zone.