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PRE-INCIDENT PLANNING PROGRAM WITH AN INITIAL FOCUS ON HAZARDOUS MATERIALS FOR THE HICKORY FIRE DEPARTMENT
EXECUTIVE ANALYSIS OF FIRE SERVICE OPERATIONS IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
BY: Greg A. Rohr
Hickory Fire Department Hickory, North Carolina
An applied research project submitted to the National Fire Academy as part of the Executive Officer Program
October 2003
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Abstract
Hickory has developed a multi-disaster plan that assigns certain duties to various
departments. This plan assists staff with the decision-making process when confronted
with a major emergency. One of the duties assigned to the Hickory Fire Department
(HFD) is to identify and record the types and amounts of hazardous materials located in
facilities within the city.
The problem is the HFD does not maintain inventory records on hazardous
materials used or stored at facilities within the city. The purpose of this study was to
identify record management systems that allow access to information and supporting data
on hazardous materials used or stored at facilities located within the city. Evaluative
research was used to answer the following: (1) what federal and state requirements are
placed on the owners of facilities to report hazardous materials information, (2) what
record management systems are available to the fire service, (3) what record management
systems are being used by other fire departments.
To answer the first question, a review of regulatory reporting requirements that
pertained to hazardous materials was conducted. To answer the second question, five
record management systems capable of recording hazardous materials information were
selected for evaluation. Convenience samples were designed and utilized as feedback
forms to answer the third question.
The results revealed there are reporting requirements for owners of facilities to
provide hazardous materials information to fire departments. Two programs, E-Plan and
CAMEO, were found to be suitable for further consideration. The majority of
departments that returned the convenience sample maintained their hazardous material
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records electronically and on paper. Accessing information from electronic records was
faster than paper records. Those using the information should ultimately choose the
system. If those making the final choice do not find either of the two programs suitable,
others should be evaluated.
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Table of Contents
Abstract 2
Table of Contents 4
Introduction 5
Background and Significance 7
Literature Review 11
Procedures 15
Results 19
Discussion 29
Recommendations 38
References 41
Appendix A 44
Appendix B 45
Appendix C 47
Appendix D 49
Appendix E 50
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Introduction
Hazardous materials are an essential part of the modern world. They play an
important role in our high standard of living. Some hazardous materials are used to make
our water safe to drink; other materials are used to control insects, some are used in the
medical profession, while others are used for manufacturing purposes. Many of the
properties that make them useful also pose a hazard to people, property, and the
environment if the hazardous materials are used in an unsafe manner, disposed of
improperly, or released into the environment (United States Environmental Protection
Agency [EPA], 1999). As the quantity and use of hazardous materials continue to
increase, so do the opportunities for accidents. Many people must face the price of
progress, including those who are responsible for protecting human life and property.
Local governments play an essential role in protecting public health and safety as
well as the environment. This responsibility is tasked to the states through the
Constitution. In turn, the states delegate this responsibility to the counties and
municipalities (Bullock & Haddow, 2003). Most emergencies are routine adverse events
that do not have community-wide impact or do not require extraordinary use of resources
to bring conditions back to normal. However, communities should be prepared for the
possibility that natural or man-made disasters and hazardous materials incidents will
cause or reinforce each other (National Response Team [NRT], 2001). The cascade
effect of an earthquake could result in a building collapse that in turn causes an
uncontrolled release of the hazardous materials stored or used inside of a building.
The City of Hickory developed a multi-hazard disaster plan as a guide to assist
city staff “towards a reasonable course of action” when confronted with a major
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emergency or disaster (City of Hickory, 2002, p. V). The plan also defines and assigns
certain roles and duties to the various departments and responding agencies. The Hickory
Fire Department (HFD) is assigned the responsibility to identify and record the types and
amounts of hazardous materials located in facilities within the City of Hickory (City of
Hickory, 2002). Laws such as Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act
of 1986 and North Carolina Right-to-Know Act have been passed to assist fire
departments with collecting information about hazardous materials.
The problem is that the HFD does not maintain records of the types and amounts
of hazardous materials used or stored at facilities within the City of Hickory. Not having
this type of information available for those making decisions about measures that need to
be taken to mitigate incidents at those facilities can prove to be disastrous. The purpose
of this applied research project is to identify record management systems with an initial
focus on hazardous material pre-incident planning capabilities that allows access by the
HFD to information about the types, amounts, and supporting data of hazardous materials
used or stored at facilities located in the City of Hickory.
Evaluative research methods were used to answer the following questions.
1. What requirements do federal and state laws place on the owners of
facilities that will assist the HFD in collecting information about
hazardous materials located at those facilities?
2. What record management systems with pre-incident planning
capabilities are currently available to the fire service that allows access
to information about the types, amounts, and supporting data of the
hazardous materials used or stored at a facility?
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3. How do other fire departments keep records and access information
about the hazardous materials that are used or stored in facilities
located within their jurisdiction?
Background and Significance
The City of Hickory is home to many large manufacturing plants, textile plants,
storage facilities, and distribution warehouses. The service area of the HFD encompasses
approximately 43 square miles and serves a population of approximately 41,800. The
department operates out of seven fire stations with 125 paid personnel. Fire suppression
personnel work 24-hour shifts and operate on a three-platoon system. They responded to
4,145 emergency calls during the 2002-2003 fiscal year. The HFD’s mission is to prevent
fires, save lives and property, and protect the environment (HFD, 2003).
The potential of encountering hazardous materials adds a new dimension of risk
to emergency responders and to the community where they are located. According to the
U.S. Department of Labor, “there are an estimated 650,000 existing hazardous chemical
products, and hundreds of new ones are being introduced annually” (U.S. Department of
Labor: Occupational Safety & Health Administration [OSHA], July 5, 2003, p. 1). To
add to this problem, when we study hazardous materials, we find that there are no
definite rules or formulas like those found in physics or math that allow an absolute
prediction of the behavior of these materials in emergency situations (Meidl, 1978).
Major disasters like the 1984 incident that occurred in Bhopal, India, in which a
cloud containing 40 tons of methyl isocyanate, a pre-pesticide component, escaped from
the Union Carbide chemical plant, killing more than 2,000 people are rare. However,
reported incidents involving spills and releases of hazardous materials are becoming
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routine (NRT, 2001). In the United States, it is estimated that 4.5 million facilities store,
use, or manufacture hazardous materials. These facilities include everything from major
industrial plants to garden centers and hardware stores (Bullock & Haddow, 2003).
The types of incidents that fire departments respond to include emergencies other
than fires. The actions taken by the responding agency are dictated by procedures and
protocols that have been developed by that agency. Even if a fire department was not
responding to a known hazardous material incident, the structure fire at the business they
are responding to may use or store significant amounts of hazardous materials. In light of
the very real possibility of serious accidents, it would be unwise to dismiss the fact we
are surrounded by hazardous materials.
In the United States, most counties and municipalities have developed multi-
hazard disaster plans that integrate the procedures and protocols of the various agencies
that would be responding to a large-scale incident or disaster. (Bullock & Haddow,
2003). Hickory’s Emergency Operations Manual (HEOM) was developed to address
large-scale incidents, disasters, and multiple hazards, which could threaten the city. The
basic plan defines the roles and responsibilities of each response agency. Defining the
roles and responsibilities reduces the confusion, chaos, and conflict during disasters and
decreases the vulnerability of the public, their property, and the environment to hazardous
threats (City of Hickory, 2002).
Some of the roles and responsibilities the HEOM assigns to the fire department as
they relate to hazardous materials are the following:
• Assume command and control of emergencies involving hazardous
materials and coordinate the efforts of all agencies involved.
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• Record the types and amounts of hazardous materials located within the
City of Hickory.
• Provide hazardous materials decontamination.
• Alert all emergency support services to the dangers associated with
technological hazards.
• Advise decision makers on the hazards associated with hazardous
materials.
To fulfill these roles, the HFD must identify the location of the facilities that use
and store significant amounts of hazardous materials, maintain records detailing the types
and amounts of hazardous materials located at those facilities, and be able to obtain
information about their dangers. Currently, when conducting pre-incident planning, the
HFD does not record the types and amounts of hazardous materials being used or stored
at a facility. In his article, “Common Preincident Intelligence Failures,” Bachman (2003)
explains that unless you are collecting and analyzing information about the hazards found
in a facility, you are going to be “caught off guard and unprepared” (Bachman, 2003, p.
165). Those of us who are in the fire service are all too familiar with the untimely deaths
and injuries of fellow firefighters who have not been prepared or unaware of the
hazardous conditions within a particular building.
Having a record management system with an initial focus on hazardous material
pre-incident planning capabilities that allows the fire department access to information
about the types and amounts of hazardous materials located at a facility and the potential
dangers that they present helps the fire department to manage its response effectively.
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An effective response “results in a safer response and minimized property loss” (Cote,
1997, p. 10-71).
An effective response helps the HFD to accomplish its mission to prevent fires,
save lives and property, and protect the environment. An effective response increases the
potential for saving lives and can minimize property loss. Minimizing property loss
protects the livelihood of those who are employed at the facility; it protects a
community’s tax base and its economic vitality. An effective response even plays a role
with environmental concerns. Decisions about letting a facility and the hazardous
materials located within the facility burn, verses contamination of the ground water
supply stemming from firefighting activities, can only be made if information about the
hazardous materials is available to the fire department.
This applied research project is relevant to the Executive Analysis of Fire Service
Operations in Emergency Management (EAFSOEM) course at the National Fire
Academy (NFA). In particular, it corresponds to Unit Four of the EAFSOEM Student
Manual. Unit Four discusses the need for risk assessment, the different phases of risk
assessment, and how to conduct a risk assessment. One of the requirements when
planning for potential disasters involves collecting information about the hazardous
materials located in your community. Implementing a record management system that
allows access by the HFD to information about the types, amounts, and supporting data
of hazardous materials used or stored at facilities in Hickory is a critical step in assessing
the risk when responding to an incident at that facility. Without this information, it is
impossible to develop a response plan that is appropriate to the risk (NFA, 2001).
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The topic of this research project also relates to two of the four United States Fire
Administration’s operational objectives found in the Executive Fire Officer Program
Operational Policies and Procedures Applied Research Guidelines (NFA, 2002). The
implementation of a hazardous materials record management system will help to, “reduce
the loss of life from fire of firefighters” and help “to promote within communities a
comprehensive, multi-hazard risk-reduction plan led by the fire service organization”
(NFA, 2002, p. II-2).
Literature Review
The federal government has passed numerous laws in response to public interest
and specific catastrophes involving hazardous materials. Some of the more significant
laws are the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act
(CERCLA), the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the Clean Air Act
(CAA), and Title III, Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA).
Of the four federal laws just mentioned, SARA has the most impact on the fire service
(Barr & Eversole, 2003).
On October 17, 1986, President Reagan signed into law SARA. SARA amended
CERCLA and included a law named the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-
Know Act of 1986 (EPCRA), also referred to as SARA Title III. EPCRA is notably
different from most of the other environmental laws, which establish regulatory standards
that require or prohibit certain activities. EPCRA uses a different approach; its intent is
to require information about hazardous materials to be shared with the government and
the community (Kompanik, 2001).
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EPCRA has two primary goals: help state and local governments plan and
prepare for hazardous material emergencies and to provide local government agencies
and the public with information about hazardous materials located in their community.
EPCRA does not place limits on which hazardous materials can be used, stored, released,
disposed, or transferred at a facility (Kompanik, 2001). It does require that a facility
document, notify, and report certain information to various government agencies about
their hazardous materials. One of the agencies that the facility is required to provide
information to is the local fire department. The facility is also required to allow the fire
department access to the facility for pre-incident planning (Bachman, 1998).
The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act) provided for
establishing and enforcing safety and health regulations in the workplace. It was
designed and intended to protect workers. The Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA), a division of the United States Department of Labor, enforce the
federal law. To address concerns about hazardous materials in the workplace, OSHA
developed a standard known as the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS). Details can
be found in the Code of Federal Regulations, 29 CFR 1910.1200. HCS is thought of as a
workers’ right-to-know standard and is based on the premise that employees have a right
and a need to know the types of hazardous materials present in the workplace and the
dangers they pose. The HCS does not mandate any reporting requirements similar to
those required by EPCRA (OSHA, 2000).
Section 18 of OSH Act included provisions for a state to develop and operate their
own job safety and health programs. One of the provisions is that the standards adopted
by a state must be at least as effective as the federal standards. In most cases, a state’s
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plan is identical to the federal standards. However, states that have been approved to
operate their job safety and health programs have the option to adopt standards covering
hazards not addressed by federal standards (OSHA, 2000).
North Carolina is one of twenty-two states that have developed and operate their
own job safety and health plans that cover both the private sector and government
employees. The Occupational Safety and Health Division of the North Carolina
Department of Labor administers the job safety and health plans (OSHA, September 12,
2003). On July 17, 1985, the North Carolina General Assembly expanded the two plans
by passing the Hazardous Chemicals Right-to-Know Act, which is codified as Article 18
of Chapter 95 of the North Carolina General Statues. The Hazardous Chemicals Right-to-
Know Act is commonly referred to as the North Carolina Right-to-Know Act (NC RTK
Act). Although North Carolina’s worker right-to-know law is similar to the federal HCS,
North Carolina includes requirements for the owner or operator of a facility to report
information about hazardous materials to the fire department. The information must be
provided when certain threshold quantities of the hazardous materials have been reached
(North Carolina Department of Labor, 1999).
Although EPCRA and NC RTK Act require a business to provide information to
fire departments about the hazardous materials used or stored in their facility, the method
that a fire department uses to store and retrieve this information varies. In his article,
“HTML-Based Preplans,” Scott Cook (2001) explains that computers are rapidly
replacing paper storage systems. Cook also pointed out that computer based pre-incident
plans are easier to access, take up less space, easier to organize, and easier to update. In
the article, “Top gear: Strathclyde’s New Vehicle Mounted Data Management Systems,”
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Jeff Ord (2001) discusses risk information problems during emergency operations.
Furthermore, Ord (2001) went on to explain that in order to deliver the amount of
information that is needed in an emergency situation, and to be able to access the
information in a limited time frame, a computerized system would be necessary.
During emergency operations, history has shown that situations involving
hazardous materials can cause a lot of problems. In the article “Common Preincident
Intelligence Failures,” by Eric G. Bachman (2003), several incidents were discussed
where the lack of adequate pre-incident planning resulted in unnecessary injuries and
deaths. The need to collect hazard information associated with a facility is also brought
out in the article “Pre-planning at Fixed Industrial Sites” (Haase, 2002). In an incident
involving hazardous materials, knowledge about the hazardous material’s chemical
profile, quantity of material involved, reactivity with water and other substances, types of
protective equipment to be worn by firefighters, evacuation distances, wind direction, etc.
is critical. Access to information and management of this information is crucial (NRT,
2001).
A pre-incident record management system that can provide this type of
information for analysis can be used to enhance and improve decision-making. National
Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) 1620, Recommended Practice for Pre-Incident Planning,
(1998) discusses that pre-incident planning information is intended primarily for use by
emergency responders, and user acceptability of the format is essential. The information
that is presented to the emergency responder must be understandable, brief,
unambiguous, and complete (NFPA 1620, 1998).
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Based on a review of other fire departments’ record management systems, the
storage method used for hazardous materials inventory information includes paper and
electronic storage mediums. Some of the departments keep paper and electronic records,
others use only paper records, while others use only electronic records. The storage
medium does play a role in the time it takes to retrieve information.
In summary, legislative requirements that necessitate the owner or operator of a
facility that uses or stores hazardous materials to furnish information about the hazardous
materials to the fire department is found at both the federal and state level of government.
At the federal level, the Environmental Protections Agency’s regulatory authority comes
from a law know as EPCRA. At the state level, the North Carolina Department of
Labor’s regulatory authority comes from a law commonly known as NC RTK Act.
Although laws have been passed that require the owner or operator of a business
to provide information about hazardous materials to a fire department, it is the fire
department’s responsibility to manage and use this information. The method that a fire
department stores and accesses this information will vary. However, it is important that
this information be available to emergency responders in order for them to make
informed decisions. The information must be provided in a limited timeframe and user
acceptability of the format is essential.
Procedures
The impetus of this project is that the HEOM assigns the responsibility of
collecting and recording information about hazardous materials to the HFD. The HEOM
also assigns the HFD the responsibility of advising decision makers on the dangers
associated with hazardous materials. This research paper focuses on statutory
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requirements that will assist fire departments in collecting information about the
hazardous materials located within their jurisdiction and to identify various record
management systems with pre-incident capabilities that allows access to information
about hazardous materials that would be suitable for use by the HFD.
The first research question, which addresses federal and state regulatory reporting
requirements, was investigated through a review of two laws. The first law that was
examined was codified by the federal government and is called the Emergency Planning
and Community Right-To-Know Act of 1986. The second law that was examined was
codified by the North Carolina General Assembly and is called the Hazardous Chemicals
Right to Know Act, which is referred to as the NC RTK Act.
The second research question pertained to the availability of record management
systems with pre-incident capabilities that allows access to information about hazardous
materials that are currently available to the fire service. Keeping in mind Cook’s article
“HTML-Based Preplans” (2001), the search was limited to computer based pre-incident
programs. Only computer based pre-incident programs, which offered hazardous
materials information capabilities, were considered.
Identifying every pre-incident program that focuses on hazardous materials was
out of the scope of this project; therefore, only five were selected. Using Google, Yahoo,
and Altavista Internet search engines, they were located using key phrases such as “fire
department software” and “pre-incident plan”. During the search, some of the Internet
sites that were visited yielded related links that in turn led to additional sites.
The products that were selected for evaluation were FDonScene, FIREHOUSE,
E-Plan, CAMEO, and First Look Pro 2.0. The selections were based upon information
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that the software was capable of providing hazardous material information and its
availability for demonstration purposes. The same computer was used to operate the
applications. The computer was configured with a Pentium 4 processor and 564
megabytes of RAM.
For evaluation purposes, the minimum information that the system had to be
capable of tracking was a company’s name, the address, the phone number, emergency
contact information, site plan, the types and amounts of hazardous materials, and location
of the hazardous materials. Two other points of criteria were the amount of supporting
data that was available about hazardous materials and the ease with which the
information was accessed. No attempt was made to try and assign point values to these
two criterions in order to determine which software was better suited for the HFD. As
long as the software offered supporting data about the hazardous materials and the format
of the database was relatively easy to navigate, the product would be recognized as
suitable for further consideration by the HFD.
The limitations of this method of evaluation are that some supporting data is more
informative than others and may not be as valuable in each situation. Another limitation
is what may appear to be easy to navigate in an office setting may not be easy to navigate
during an emergency. Another limitation was the limited number of products selected for
evaluation, which eliminated numerous products from being evaluated.
The next research question focused on how other fire departments keep inventory
records and access information about hazardous materials. A feedback form was devised
to answer this question. The feedback form included questions about the method of
storage, availability of information to responding units, how long it takes them to access
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information, additional information that is available to help mitigate an incident involving
the hazardous material, and if the information was sufficient in an emergency situation.
Thirty-one copies of the feedback form were distributed to various fire
departments and 20 were returned. There was no particular selection criterion except that
the fire department maintained a Web site on the Internet. See Appendixes A, B, and C
for the relevant cover letters, the form itself, and a list of participating fire departments.
The information obtained from the feedback forms were reported as raw numbers and
percentages.
One of the limitations was the lack of information about a fire department’s
previous experiences involving hazardous material incidents. The amount and type of
supporting data that they felt was adequate could be dependent upon the degree of
involvement in mitigating previous incidents and not indicative of what would be needed
in a major incident. Another limitation was there were no provisions for a fire
department that allowed access to both electronic and paper records to differentiate which
medium allowed access to more information.
Definition of Terms
Extremely hazardous substance – A chemical identified by the EPA to be
extremely hazardous if spilled or released because of their toxic, physical, or chemical
properties.
Hazardous materials – Any substance or material that upon release poses an
unreasonable risk to safety, health, or the environment.
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Material Safety Data Sheet – A form that identifies and documents a selection of
physical properties, safety measures, and emergency actions for a particular chemical or
substance.
Pre-incident plan – A document derived from information collected about a
facility that can be used by emergency response personnel to assist in determining the
resources and actions needed to mitigate probable emergencies at that facility.
Responding unit – Apparatus with assigned personnel responding to an
emergency.
Threshold planning quantity – Amount of a hazardous substance that is kept at a
facility above which the owner or operator must report certain types of information to
government agencies.
Results
1. What requirements do federal and state laws place on the owners of
facilities that will assist the HFD in collecting information about hazardous materials
located at those facilities?
Although there are several federal laws pertaining to hazardous materials, EPCRA
includes provisions that require the owner or operator of a facility that uses or stores
hazardous materials to report information about those materials to the fire department.
EPCRA is divided into three subtitles: A, B, and C (42 U.S.C. 1101 et seq. 2000).
Combined, the three subtitles contain 30 sections. Subtitle A contains the requirements
for emergency planning and notification. Subtitle B contains the reporting requirements.
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Subtitle C contains a multitude of general provisions such as the protection of trade
secrets and civil penalties (42 U.S.C. 1101 et seq. 2000).
EPCRA’s reporting requirements are referred to as the community right-to-know
requirements and are found in Sections 311 and 312. They give people the right-to-know
what hazardous materials are being made, used, or stored in their community. Section
311 requires that a facility furnishes copies of the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) or
lists of hazardous materials, that fall within the jurisdiction of OSH Act, to various
government agencies when the material’s threshold planning quantity has been reached
(42 U.S.C. 311, 2000). If a list is submitted instead of the MSDS, then the hazardous
materials must be grouped in categories of health and physical hazards.
Section 312 requires that when the hazardous material’s threshold planning
quantity has been reached, a facility must also submit either a Tier I or Tier II inventory
report (42 U.S.C. 312, 2000). A Tier I report provides information on the quantity and
general location for each of the hazard categories of hazardous materials. A Tier II report
provides specific information on the name, quantity, and exact location of each hazardous
material. The EPA determines the threshold planning quantities. The threshold amounts
for reporting are as follows:
• For an Extremely Hazardous Substance - 500 pounds or the threshold
planning quantity.
• For any substances considered a physical or health hazard - 10,000 pounds.
The MSDS or list of hazardous materials required by Section 311 and the Tier I or
Tier II inventory report required by Section 312 must be sent to the fire department that
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has jurisdiction over the facility (42 U.S.C. 311 & 312, 2000). The information must be
submitted at least once a year and any time during the year when a change occurs that
could pose additional risks. In addition to the reporting requirements, Section 312 goes
on to require the owner or operator of a facility that files a Tier I or Tier II inventory form
to “allow the fire department to conduct an on-site inspection of the facility and shall
provide to the fire department specific location information on hazardous chemicals at the
facility” (42 U.S.C. 312 (f), 2000).
The NC RTK Act is set down in North Carolina General Statue chapter 95,
between sections 173 and 218 (N.C. Gen. Stat. 95-173 et seq. 1994). The primary
purpose of NC RTK Act is to inform the fire chief about the presence of hazardous
materials located in facilities that the fire department would be responding to in the event
of an emergency. Information that NC RTK Act requires to be submitted about
hazardous materials is similar to the information required by EPCRA and in some cases,
the Tier II report can be used.
Due to NC RTC Act’s threshold quantities for reporting being lower than
EPCRA, there may be hazardous materials required to be reported under NC RTK Act
that are not required to be reported under EPCRA. The information must be submitted at
least once a year and any time during the year when a change occurs that could pose
additional risks. NC RTK Act also makes provisions that allow the fire department to
conduct on-site inspections of a facility and require that copies of the MSDS be provided
to the fire department upon request (N.C. Gen. Stat. 95-194, 1994). The threshold
quantities for a hazardous material under NC RTK Act are 55 gallons or 500 pounds,
whichever is greater (N.C. Gen. Stat. 95-191, 1994).
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The requirements mandated by EPCRA and NC RTK Act to provide information
about hazardous materials to the local fire department and to allow the fire department to
inspect a reporting facility is similar. However, due to the difference in scope and
purpose of the two laws, there are some significant differences that exist between EPCRA
and NC RTK Act. A facility must keep in mind that the threshold quantities required
under NC RTK Act are lower than the threshold quantities required under EPCRA.
However, the information required by NC RTK Act is not as extensive as EPCRA.
2. What record management systems with pre-incident planning capabilities
are currently available to the fire service that allows access to information about the
types, amounts, and supporting data of the hazardous materials used or stored at a
facility?
The first product that was examined is called FDonScene. FDonScene is one of
several programs developed by FieldSoft. FDonScene is a software application that is
primarily designed for incident management. Through automated tactical worksheets and
incident organization tables, an incident commander can deploy and monitor resources.
FDonScene in not a database type application, it is a web page application. The software
includes a “wizard” that can be used to create a pre-incident plan web site that resides on
the computer.
There are ten primary modules and each module contains information that is
specific to that application. The Tactical Information module provides links to preplans,
maps, occupancy information, hazardous materials information, equipment lists, and
checklists. The two links that provide hazardous materials information are the
Occupancy Index link and the HAZMAT link.
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The Occupancy Index link provides access to a web page that contains
information about a specific company. This information includes the company name,
address, phone number, emergency contact information, site plans, and the NFPA 704
hazard rating number. This page also has a section called Other Text where text can be
entered either free style, through a template, or a combination of the two. The Other Text
section of the Occupancy Index page is where a fire department would enter information
about the type and quantity of a hazardous material, the Chemical Abstract Number, etc.
The HAZMAT link connects to several hazardous material databases that have
previously been installed on the computer. The supporting data includes the Emergency
Response Guidebook, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards, Recommendations for Chemical Protective Clothing,
and Toxicology Review of Selected Chemicals. There are also two Internet links, one to
the NIOSH homepage and the other to the Center for Disease Control’s homepage.
The second product that was examined was FIREHOUSE Software.
FIREHOUSE Software is a SQL database application that can be run locally or over a
network. It is designed for managing and recording a fire department’s activities.
FIREHOUSE Software is comprised of twelve modules. The relational structure of the
database allows information that is entered in one module to be used in the other
modules. The different modules are Fire Incidents, EMS Incidents, Occupancy,
Inspections, Staff, Activity, Training, Program, Scheduling, Inventory, Hydrant, and
Journal. The Occupancy module is where pre-incident planning information is located.
The Occupancy module contains seven tabs and each tab contains detailed
information that is associated to that tab. Information can be obtained that includes the
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company name, address, phone number, emergency contact information, site plans and
building plans. The Additional Records tab is where information about hazardous
materials is located. This information includes the types and amounts of hazardous
materials and their locations. Supporting data includes the Chemical Abstract Number,
Emergency Response Guidebook’s four-digit Identification Number, the NFPA 704
hazard rating number, and CAMEO’s chemical inventory database.
The third product that was examined was E-Plan. E-Plan is a federally sponsored
web-based system that provides information about hazardous materials. E-Plan is a
restricted site and requires a user name and password to logon before access is allowed.
E-Plan allows pertinent information to be entered about a particular facility. This
information includes the company name, address, phone number, emergency contact
information, site plan, the types and amounts of hazardous chemicals, and their locations.
Site plan information includes the overall footprint of a building, a facility layout that
will show multiple buildings and their relationship to each other, and surrounding roads.
Information can be entered that includes nearby sensitive areas such as hospitals, schools,
nursing homes, etc.
In addition to listing the types and amounts of hazardous chemicals located at a
specific facility, supporting data is available. This information includes Chemical
Abstract Numbers, MSDS, Emergency Response Guidebook information, Chemical
Hazards Response Information System information, and chemical profile information. E-
Plan has numerous Internet links. Some of the links include the EPA, CAMEO, United
States National Response Team, United States Fire Administration, NIOSH Pocket Guide
25
to Chemical Hazards, Geographic Information System mapping, and up-to-date weather
information.
The fourth product that was examined was CAMEO. CAMEO is actually a
collection of three separate, integrated software systems. The applications are CAMEO,
ALHOA, and MARPLOT. CAMEO is comprised of nine modules. The supporting data
consists of the Chemical Library module, which contains over 6,000 records for
hazardous materials. Each record includes the chemical name, regulatory information, a
general description of the hazardous material, its physical properties, fire and health
hazards, and recommendations for firefighting and non-fire response, first aid, and
protective clothing for response.
The Facilities module allows certain information to be entered about a specific
building. This information includes the address, the types and amounts of hazardous
materials, the location of the material, emergency contact information, and a layout of the
facility. Information that some of the other modules allow to be entered is an address
directory of important contacts such as chemical experts and government agencies.
The other two applications that are integrated with CAMEO are ALHOA and
MARPLOT. ALHOA is designed to estimate the concentration of airborne vapors
downwind from a release and will generate a footprint diagram of that area. MARPLOT
is the mapping application that allows maps to be displayed and edited. Because
CAMEO, ALOHA, and MARPLOT are integrated, the information from one program
can be linked and used by the other programs.
The fifth product that was examined was First Look Pro 2.0, which consists of
seven modules. Each module contains information about a facility that is relevant to that
26
particular module. The modules are Structure, Access, Water, Protection, Strategy,
Contact, and Haz Mat. Although the Haz Mat module contained information about the
types, amounts, and location of hazardous materials, the supporting data about the
hazardous materials was limited to the information found in the Department of
Transportation’s Emergency Response Guidebook.
The five computer based pre-incident programs that were examined allowed
standardized data entry fields that included the company’s name, address, emergency
contact information, site plans, and building plans. With the exception of FDonScene,
the other four programs also allowed for standardized data entry that included the types
and amounts of hazardous materials and the location of the hazardous materials. There
were some noticeable differences between the programs. The differences included screen
layout, screen navigation, grouping of information, amounts of supporting data that was
available about hazardous materials, and the availability of Internet links to sites such as
the EPA and the United States National Response Team.
3. How do other fire departments keep records and access information about
the hazardous materials that are used or stored in facilities located within their
jurisdiction?
A review of the feedback forms that addressed this question yielded interesting
results. All 20 of the departments that returned the feedback forms collected inventory
records detailing the types and quantities of hazardous materials stored in buildings
within their jurisdiction. Fourteen (70%) of the departments maintained their records
both electronically and on paper. Five (25%) of the departments maintained their records
exclusively on paper, and only one (5%) department maintained their records exclusively
27
in an electronic format. However, responding units were able to access this information
in only 16 (80%) of the departments. A majority of the fire departments maintain both
electronic and paper versions of their hazardous material inventory records. Likewise, a
majority of the departments are able to access their inventory records when responding to
an emergency. See Appendix D for the content of the returned feedback forms pertaining
to the storage mediums used by the different fire departments.
Out of the 16 departments where responding units were able to access hazardous
material inventory records, only three (19%) provided both electronic and paper version
of the records to the responding units. Eight (50%) departments provided only electronic
inventory records and five (31%) provided only paper inventory records. Another way to
present this information is that 11 of the 16 (69%) departments offer electronic versions
of their inventory records to responding units and 8 of the 16 (50%) departments offer
paper versions. Electronic versions of hazardous material inventory records are available
to responding units more often than paper versions. See Appendix D for the content of
the feedback forms pertaining to the storage mediums that were available to the
responding units.
Nine (82%) of the records that were accessed electronically were retrieved in less
than five minutes. The retrieval time for the remaining two (18%) records that were
accessed electronically were between 5 and 10 minutes. Although eight departments
provide paper copies of the inventory records to responding units, only six of those
departments provided retrieval times on the feedback form for paper records. In three
(50%) of the departments, the retrieval time for the responding units to access the paper
records was less than five minutes. Two (33%) of the departments were able to access
28
their paper records between 5 and 10 minutes. One (17%) department took between 11
and 15 minutes to retrieve their paper records. A comparison of the two storage mediums
indicates that electronically maintained records are faster to retrieve than paper records.
See Appendix E for the content of the feedback forms pertaining to the retrieval times for
the different storage mediums.
Thirteen (81%) of the departments think that the information they are able to
access is adequate and three (19%) of the departments think that the information they are
able to access is inadequate. Aside from the type and quantity of hazardous materials, 13
of the 16 (81%) departments are able to access MSDS, information contained in the
Department of Transportation’s Emergency Response Guide, and the United
Nations/Department of Transportation identification numbers. Three (19%) departments
have access to information that includes a mapping application called MARPLOT and an
application that estimates the concentration of airborne vapors downwind from a
chemical release called ALOHA. Two (12%) departments have access to information
contained in the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s database on
chemical hazards and the Chemical Hazards Response Information System developed by
the U.S. Coast Guard.
The majority of the departments maintain their records both electronically and on
paper, although both versions were not always available to the responding units. The
retrieval time for information obtained from paper records took longer than accessing the
information electronically. Aside from the type and quantities of hazardous materials,
most of the additional information that the fire departments have available with their
hazardous materials inventory records is limited. In most cases, the additional
29
information focused on the MSDS, the Department of Transportation’s Emergency
Response Guidebook, and the United Nations/Department of Transportation
identification numbers. However, most of the departments felt that the information they
were provided was adequate for the responding units.
Discussion
Hazardous materials are found throughout the modern world and are essential in
maintaining our high standard of living. However, under certain circumstances they can
cause untold harm to people, property, and the environment. The City of Hickory
recognizes the dangers that hazardous material releases pose and the cascading affect
they present when combined with natural or man-made disasters. Hickory’s multi-
disaster plan assigns the HFD the responsibility of identifying and recording the types
and amounts of hazardous materials located in facilities within the city. To assist the
HFD with this task, it is important that the HFD take advantage of federal and state laws
that require a business that uses or stores hazardous materials to report this information to
the HFD. It is also important the HFD have a record management system that is capable
of recording the hazardous materials information provided by the businesses and the
information being accessible to units responding to an emergency at those businesses.
To address the potential for disasters involving hazardous materials “Congress has
enacted several hazmat laws in response to specific environmental events…” (Bullock &
Eversole, 2003, p. 732). Amongst the federal laws, “SARA Title III has had the greatest
impact on fire service operations” (Bullock & Eversole, 2003, p. 733). SARA’s impact
upon the fire service is attributed to legislative action when “SARA acted to both amend
and reauthorize” CERCLA (Bullock & Eversole, 2003, p. 733). The amending of
30
CERCLA through SARA resulted in a law known as EPCRA. “The purpose of EPCRA
is to both improve local emergency response planning and to increase risk
communication regarding toxic hazards produced by companies” (Kompanik, 2001, p.
24).
EPCRA accomplishes its purpose through requirements that can be divided into
four main areas: Emergency Response, Emergency Notification, Community Right-to-
Know, and Toxic Chemical Release Reporting. The Community Right-to-Know portion
is found in Sections 311 and 312. Sections 311 and 312 requires “information about the
storage and use of chemicals…” (Kompanik, 2001, p. 24) be reported to certain agencies,
one of them being the local fire department. The federal and state government recognize
the importance of a business’ proper reporting of this information to the fire department.
It is equally important that the HFD holds the businesses responsible for providing this
information in order that units responding to emergencies have access to this information.
In the article “Pre-planning at Fixed Industrial Sites” Rick Haase (2002), explains
“Understanding the quantities and types of hazardous chemicals within a facility prior to
an actual response can save time and guesswork during an incident” (Haase, 2002, p. 2).
The Tier II chemical inventory forms that Section 312 requires for a facility to submit to
a fire department contains pertinent information about the hazardous materials located at
a facility. The value of this information was discussed in the article “Tier II Chemical
Inventory Form a Preplanning Resource” (Bachman, 1998). Bachman brought out the
fact that many fire departments are not making good use of this information, and the Tier
II forms “can provide valuable site-specific information” (Bachman, 1998, p. 182). In
her master thesis, “Implementation of Federal Programs at the Local Level: An
31
Examination of SARA Title III Local Emergency Planning Committees and Project
Impact” Kompanik (2001) also discusses the fact that local government agencies are not
taking full advantage of EPCRA.
Another federal hazardous materials law, know as HCS, was developed by OSHA
to address concerns about hazardous materials in the workplace. HCS focus is directed
toward employees right-to-know and does not require a business to report information
about their hazardous materials to a local fire department. However, OSH Act
“encourages states to develop and operate their own job safety and health plans” (OSHA,
2000, p. 18). This provision allows a state to implement their own plans, providing the
plans are at least as effective as HCS.
North Carolina is one of several states approved by the federal government to
administer their own job safety and health plans. North Carolina’s plan is not just
concerned about employees being informed about the hazardous materials used or stored
in a facility, it is also concerned that the fire department is informed. North Carolina’s
plan addresses what Eric Bachman discusses in his article “ Common Preincident
Intelligence Failures,” that if a fire department is not “inventorying, identifying, and
analyzing your hazards, you’re going to be caught off guard and unprepared” (Bachman,
2003, p. 165). NC RTK Act requires businesses to provide information about their
hazardous materials to the local fire department when certain threshold quantities of
hazardous materials in use or storage have been reached (NC Gen. Stat. Ch. 95 § 191 &
194, 1994). Information that includes the types and quantities of hazardous materials
being used or stored at a facility is valuable; and with this type of pre-incident
intelligence, a fire department will be better prepared to provide an effective response.
32
Considering that there are both federal and state reporting requirements for a
business to provide hazardous materials information to a fire department, the next step
would be identifying those businesses not in compliance with EPCRA and NC RTK Act.
The method used to identify the businesses not in compliance with the two laws are not
within the scope of this research project, but it must be kept in mind that many of the
businesses may not be aware of the requirements. Once notified that they were not it
compliance with EPCRA or NC RTK Act, many of the businesses will voluntarily
comply with the reporting requirements while others may require punitive action.
Another matter that must be taken into consideration is managing the information
once it is submitted. A record management system must be in place to record the
hazardous materials information in a format that can be used by emergency responders.
In the article, “HTLM – Based Preplans,” Cook (2001) discusses different types of pre-
incident planning storage systems. Cook points out that “notebooks and accordion files
take up a lot of room….which can prove cumbersome while sitting in the cab responding
to a call” (Cook, 2001, p. 61). Cook also discussed how computers are becoming the
storage medium of choice for pre-incident plans and can make organizing and accessing
the information easier. However, the author also brought out the fact that “many
software programs require several steps to access needed information…” (Cook, 2001, p.
61). Although computers provide a storage medium that is conducive to organizing pre-
incident planning information, the number of steps that it takes to access information can
slow down the information’s retrieval time.
In the article, “Top gear: Strathclyde’s New Vehicle Mounted Data Management
Systems,” the author, also points out “only a computerized system could cope with the
33
amount of data …” (Ord, 2001, p. 33) needed by firefighters for analyzing risk
information problems. Keeping these two articles in mind, the search for record
management systems with an initial focus on pre-incident planning capabilities was
limited to computer-based systems. Five products were identified for evaluation.
The first product that was evaluated was FDonScene. FDonScene is designed as
an incident management tool. The web page that contains occupancy information only
provides NFPA 704 hazard rating numbers. The hazard numbers provide very little in
the way of information. Although the hazard rating numbers provide the degree of
physical, health, fire, or reactivity hazard of the hazardous materials located inside of the
building, the program does not provide the types or amounts of hazardous materials.
Without knowing the type and amounts of the hazardous materials, firefighters are
hampered in their ability to make informed decisions.
Although the types and amounts of hazardous materials can be entered so they
will appear in the Occupancy Information section, it must be entered free style or a
template must first be created. Without the use of a template for data entry, there would
be no consistency in how the information appears when displayed. The lack of pre-
designed data entry fields for this information underscores that the focus of this program
is not towards accessing hazardous materials information. Hazardous materials
information is not readily available and there is no grouping of this information. A fire
department would be required to create their own hazardous material web pages if they
wanted more of a focus in this area.
34
In summary, FDonScene is directed more towards incident commanders and
scene management. The focus is on deploying and monitoring resources and not as a tool
for responding units to access information about hazardous materials.
The second solution that was evaluated was FIREHOUSE Software.
FIREHOUSE Software is designed as a fire department’s record management system. It
is designed to track the department’s activities and generate pre-designed reports using
the information that has been entered. Although FIREHOUSE Software has a pre-
incident planning component that includes hazardous materials information, the
information is not presented in a manner that lends itself to quick extraction. Although
navigation between modules is not difficult, the Chemical Inventory’s screen layout and
grouping of information makes filtering through the information awkward.
FIREHOUSE Software is designed to manage large amounts of information while
providing a fire department with a complete record management system. The amount of
information that can be entered about a building such as the last inspection and violation
history is valuable; however, it is not critical when responding to an emergency.
FIREHOUSE Software provides a complete records management package. However, the
design of its pre-incident planning module does not take into consideration that its target
audience would be emergency responders.
The third solution that was evaluated was E-Plan. E-Plan is easy to use and
provides information in a clear and concise manner. It allows quick access to
information that a first-arriving engine company would need about hazardous materials
and provides more complex and detailed information that would be needed to manage a
large hazardous materials incident. Navigating between screens is easy, the grouping of
35
information is conducive to decision making and the information is to the point and easy
to read.
E-Plan was designed with a focus on accessing information about hazardous
materials and being able to apply that information in a limited timeframe to a specific
location. Although someone may argue that there is no such thing as too much
information, if the information is not properly organized it can be overwhelming. This
program does an excellent job of organizing a tremendous amount of information in a
manner that can be utilized by units responding to an emergency.
The fourth product that was evaluated was CAMEO. CAMEO is designed to
assist emergency managers and responders with planning and managing hazardous
material emergencies. CAMEO provides a wealth of information and would be very
beneficial in managing a sizable hazardous material incident. However, it took a lot of
surfing to find the information and was not as easy to navigate as other programs.
Although CAMEO is very capable of planning for and managing major hazardous
material incidents, it did not readily provide general information about the types and
amounts of hazardous materials located in a facility along with basic types of supporting
data.
The last solution to be evaluated was First Look Pro 2.0. The information in First
Look Pro 2.0 was easy to access and would be beneficial to any incident commander or
units responding to an emergency. Navigating between modules and accessing the
information in a module is straightforward. The information in the different modules is
easy to read and is grouped together in a manner that is not distracting and lends itself to
extraction. First Look Pro 2.0’s focus is on pre-incident planning, which includes type,
36
quantity, and location of hazardous materials. However, it did not provide a lot of
supporting data about hazardous materials.
The literature suggested that information about the hazardous materials located at
a facility must be available to emergency responders. The information must be easily
accessed, and it must be presented in a format that is easy for an emergency responder to
use. The information must not only contain the location, types, and quantities of the
hazardous materials, but information about its physical properties, reactivity, toxicity,
evacuation distances, etc. must also be available. The two systems that provide the most
hazardous materials information are E-Plan and CAMEO.
Considering that the HFD maintains a response time of less than five minutes to
any given location within its jurisdiction, priority must be given to the amount of time it
takes to access information. Another factor that must be considered is the grouping of
information and if this grouping would be conducive to making decisions. Considering
these two factors, E-Plan has a distinct advantage over the other programs. However,
keeping in mind the suggestion from NFPA 1620, Recommended Practice for Pre-
Incident Planning, “It cannot be understated that the pre-incident plan user should have
the final say in the format” (NFPA 1620, 1998, p. D-2). In other words, the final decision
on which product would be better suited for the HFD should be left to the firefighters that
respond to emergencies.
The question now arises about how other fire departments keep records and
access information about hazardous materials that are used or stored within their
jurisdiction. The feedback form that was sent to other fire departments yielded results
that reflected information brought out in the literature review by the various authors. The
37
20 fire departments that returned the feedback form all collected inventory records
detailing the types and quantities of hazardous materials within their jurisdiction.
The majority of the departments maintain their records both electronically and on
paper, although both versions were not always available to the responding units. The
retrieval time for information obtained from paper records took longer than accessing the
information electronically. After considering Cook’s and Ord’s articles about
computerized storage systems, the results from the feedback forms about retrieval times
are no surprise.
Aside from the type and quantities of hazardous materials, most of the additional
information that the fire departments have available with their hazardous materials
inventory records is limited. In most cases, the additional information focused on the
MSDS, the Department of Transportation’s Emergency Response Guidebook, and the
United Nations/Department of Transportation identification numbers. Although the
additional information was limited, most of the departments felt that it was adequate for
the responding units. The additional information just mentioned should be considered the
minimum that a program has to offer. The importance of having Internet capabilities that
allows access to sites such as the EPA, the Untied States National Response Team, up-to-
date weather information, and Geographic Information System mapping cannot be
discounted.
The organizational implications of the study results indicate that the HFD must
move forward with providing computers in their vehicles. The computers will need to
accommodate a pre-incident planning program. They must also provide wireless
connections to the Internet, which will allow a responding unit access to Internet sites
38
that pertain to hazardous materials. Pursuing a record management system where
responding units can only access paper hazardous material inventory records would not
be in the best interest of the HFD.
Recommendations
Keeping in mind that NC RTK Act’s threshold quantities for reporting
information to the fire department is lower than EPCRA, the first recommendation is to
contact the Occupational Safety and Health Division of the North Carolina Department of
Labor and find out what type of assistance they can provide. They should have an
education specialist on staff that may be able provide some suggestions and assistance in
contacting business owners and educating the business owners about NC RTK Act. At a
minimum, they should have brochures and pamphlets that can be given to the business
owners that use or store hazardous materials.
The second recommendation is that the HFD moves forward with selecting a
computer based pre-incident planning program with a focus on hazardous materials. A
committee, comprised of firefighters that would be using the product, should be selected
to make the final recommendation. Out of the five programs that I evaluated, only two
should be considered for further review. The two systems are E-Plan and CAMEO. If
neither of these programs is acceptable to the selection committee, then other products
should be identified and evaluated. However, only systems that allow electronic access
to hazardous materials inventory records with supporting data should be considered.
The third recommendation is to involve the City’s Information Technology
Department. The department head will need to be educated about the importance of pre-
incident planning and the need for a computer based pre-incident planning program. The
39
department head, or designee, should be involved in the selection of the computers for the
vehicles and their installation. They will have an integral part in maintaining the
computers and their support cannot be overlooked.
The fourth recommendation is to start gathering information about the cost of the
computers and the cost of installing them in the vehicles. The dollar amount will need to
be included in the budget process, or funds will not be available to purchase the
computers or for their installation. This is another area where the support of the
Information Technology Department is important.
The fifth recommendation is to evaluate the HFD’s current standard operating
procedures for pre-incident planning. The current standard operation procedures for pre-
incident planning will need to be reviewed and recommendations made on revising the
procedures to incorporate the use of a computer based pre-incident planning program and
entering information about hazardous materials.
The final recommendation is for the Fire Chief to appoint someone to oversee the
project. This person will need to develop goals and objectives with dates for certain tasks
to be completed. This person should also consider the overall computer literacy of the
HFD. Individuals that are lacking in this area should be encouraged and provided with
assistance in obtaining the necessary skills it will take to enter and access electronic
information.
In conclusion, based on the findings of this research project, the HFD should take
the necessary steps for collecting information about the types and amounts of hazardous
materials used or stored in facilities located within its jurisdiction. This task has been
delegated to the HFD by the HEOM. A review of the literature eliminates any doubt that
40
this information should be available to fire department units responding to an emergency.
To further underscore the importance of this type of information, EPCRA and NC RTK
Act has established threshold quantities for hazardous materials that, when reached, must
be reported to the fire department.
Future researchers may wish to explore the computer literacy of a fire department
and how this affects their members’ abilities to enter information into a database and
access the information during an emergency.
41
References
Bachman, Eric G. (1998, March). Tier II chemical inventory form a preplanning
resource. Fire Engineering, 182-186.
Bachman, Eric G. (2003, March). Common preincident intelligence failures. Fire
Engineering, 165-170.
Barr, Robert C. & Eversole, John M. (Eds.). (2003). The Fire Chief’s Handbook
(6th ed.). Tulsa, OK: PennWell Corporation.
Bullock, Jane A. & Haddow, George D. (2003). Introduction to Emergency
Management. New York, NY: Butterworth Heinemann.
City of Hickory. (2002). Emergency Operations Manual. Hickory, NC: Author.
Cook, Scott. (2001, April). HTML based preplans. FireRescue Magazine, 61-65.
Cote, Arthur E. (Ed.). (1997). Fire Protection Handbook (18th ed.). Quincy, MA:
National Fire Protection Association.
Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act of 1986, 42 U.S.C. §
11001 et seq. (2000).
Haase, Rick. (March, 2002). Pre-planning at fixed industrial sites. IAFC On
Scene, 2.
Hazardous Chemicals Right-to-Know Act, N.C. Gen. Stat. 95-173 et seq. (1985 &
Supp. 1994).
Hickory Fire Department (2003). Hickory Fire Department Annual Report 2002-
2003. Hickory, NC: Author.
42
Kompanik, Kristy. (2001). Implementation of federal programs at the local level:
An examination of SARA Title III local emergency planning committees and project
impact. Unpublished master’s thesis, University of Delaware, Disaster Research Center.
Meidl, James H. (1978). Flammable Hazardous Materials (2nd ed.). Encino, CA:
Glencoe Publishing Co., Inc.
National Fire Academy. (2001). Executive Analysis of Fire Service Operations in
Emergency Management. Emmitsburg, MD: Author.
National Fire Academy. (2002). Executive Officer Program Operational Policies
and Procedures Applied Research Guidelines. Emmitsburg, MD: Author.
National Fire Protection Association. (1998). Recommended Practice for Pre-
Incident Planning (NFPA 1620). Quincy, MA: Author.
National Response Team. (2001, July). Hazardous materials emergency planning
guide (Publication No. NRT-1). Washington, DC: Author.
North Carolina Department of Labor (1999) Hazardous chemicals right to know
act [Brochure]. Raleigh, NC: Author.
Ord, Jeff. (2001, March). Top gear: Strathclyde’s new vehicle mounted data
management systems. Fire, 33.
U. S. Department of Labor: Occupational Safety & Health Administration. (n.d.).
Hazard communication standard. Retrieved July 5, 2003, from
http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=FACT_SHEETS&
P_id=151
43
U. S. Department of Labor: Occupational Safety & Health Administration. (n.d.).
Frequently asked questions about state occupational safety and health plans. Retrieved
September 12, 2003, from http://www.osha.gov/fso/osp/faq.html
U.S. Department of Labor: Occupational Safety & Health Administration. (2000).
Hazard communication guidelines for compliance (Publication No. OSHA 3111).
Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
United States Environmental Protection Agency. (1999). Chemicals in your
community [Brochure]. Cincinnati, OH: Author.
44
Appendix A
Cover Letter for Record Management System
Fire Prevention Bureau City of Hickory
76 North Center Street Hickory, NC 28601
(828) 323-7522 Fax (828) 323-7476
DATE NAME POSITION ADDRESS Dear NAME: I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Greg Rohr and I am a Deputy Chief at the Hickory Fire Department located in North Carolina. I am currently enrolled in the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program. As a participant in this program, I am required to complete an applied research project. The purpose of my project is to identify a record management system with an initial focus on hazardous materials pre-incident planning capabilities that allows access by emergency responders to information about the types, amounts, and supporting data of the hazardous materials used or stored at a facility. I have enclosed a survey that is needed to complete the research portion of the project. I would appreciate your assistance in having the appropriate member of your fire department complete the survey and return it as soon as possible. I have also enclosed a self-addressed stamped envelope that can be used to return the survey. If you would like to review the results of the survey or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you for your cooperation. Sincerely, Greg A. Rohr Deputy Chief Enclosures: Records Management Feedback Form Self-addressed stamped envelope
45
Appendix B
Records Management Feedback Form The following questions are related to records management for hazardous materials. Please answer the questions to the best of your ability. A comment section has been provided at the end of the form for any additional information or explanation of the information you have provided. PLEASE PRINT Name: _________________________________ Title: _________________________ Fire Department: _________________________ Telephone: (____) ______________ 1. Does your department collect inventory records detailing types and quantities of
hazardous materials stored in buildings within your jurisdiction?
Yes ____ No ____ 2. Are the inventory records of hazardous materials maintained electronically or on
paper?
Electronically _____ Paper _____ Both _____ 3. If records are maintained on paper, where are they located?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
4. If records are maintained electronically, what program do you use?
Cameo ____ E-Plan ____ Fieldsoft ____ FireZone ____ Firehouse ____
Other (please specify)___________________________________________________ 5. When responding to an incident can the responding units access the hazardous
materials inventory records? Yes ____ No ____
6. If the responding units can access the hazardous materials inventory records, are the records electronic or paper copies?
Electronic ____ Paper ____ Both ____
46
7. If the responding units can access the hazardous materials inventory records electronically, what storage medium is used?
Hard drive on apparatus computer ____ CD/DVD ____ Wireless ____
Other (please specify) __________________________________________________
8. When responding to an incident, how quickly can inventory records of the hazardous materials be accessed?
Electronic Records Paper Records Under 5 minutes _____ Under 5 minutes _____ Between 5-10 minutes _____ Between 5-10 minutes _____ Between 11-15 minutes _____ Between 11-15 minutes _____ Above 15 minute _____ Above 15 minute _____
9. In the event of an emergency, who has access to either the electronic or paper
records? _____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________ 10. Aside from hazardous materials type and quantity, what additional information is
available in your inventory records about the material that could help you mitigate an incident involving the chemical?
Material Safety Data Sheet _____ UN/DOT Number _____
Emergency Response Guide Information _____ Other (please specify) ___________
11. Do you consider the hazardous chemical information you have available for retrieval sufficient in an emergency?
Yes ____ No ____
12. If the answer to Question 11 is no, what additional information is needed?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________ 13. Based on its performance when responding to emergencies that involve hazardous
materials, do you consider your department’s record management system adequate?
Yes ____ No ____ 13. Comments: (use reverse side of paper if necessary)
47
Appendix C
Participating Fire Departments
SENT BACK A RESPONSE
Albany Department of Fire & Emergency Services, Albany, NY
Charlotte Fire Department, Charlotte, NC
City of Atlanta Fire Department, Atlanta, GA
City of Memphis Fire Department, Memphis, TN
City of Miami – Department of Fire & Rescue, Miami, FL
City of Raleigh Fire Department, Raleigh, NC
Corpus Christi Fire Department, Corpus Christi, TX
Dallas Fire & Rescue, Dallas, TX
El Dorado Fire Department, El Dorado, TX
Oklahoma City Fire Department, Oklahoma City, OK
Philadelphia Fire Department, Philadelphia, PA
Phoenix Fire Department, Phoenix, AZ
Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire, Pittsburgh, PA
Plano Fire Department, Plane, TX
Portland Fire & Rescue, Portland, OR
Portland Maine Fire Department, Portland, ME
48
Sacramento City Fire Department, Sacramento, CA
San Diego Fire & Rescue Department, San Diego, CA
Town of Cary Fire Department, Cary, NC
Tucson Fire Department, Tucson, AZ
DID NOT RESPOND
Baton Rouge Fire Department, Baton Rouge, LA
Boston Fire Department, Boston, MA
City of Tulsa Fire Department, Tulsa, OK
Columbia Fire & Rescue, Columbia, SC
Denver Fire Department, Denver, CO
Greensboro Fire Department, Greensboro, NC
Houston Fire Department, Houston, TX
Nashville Fire Department, Nashville, TN
New Orleans Fire Department, New Orleans, LA
Orlando Fire Department, Orlando, FL
Tampa Fire & Rescue, Tampa, FL
49
Appendix D
Availability of Hazardous Materials Inventory Records To Responding Units
Fire departments Storage medium Availability Storage medium available
Dept. 1 B Y B
Dept. 2 B Y B
Dept. 3 B Y E
Dept. 4 P Y P
Dept. 5 B Y P
Dept. 6 P N -
Dept. 7 B Y E
Dept. 8 B Y P
Dept. 9 B Y E
Dept. 10 P Y P
Dept. 11 B Y E
Dept. 12 B Y B
Dept. 13 B N -
Dept. 14 P N -
Dept. 15 B N -
Dept. 16 B Y E
Dept. 17 B Y E
Dept. 18 E Y E
Dept. 19 P Y P
Dept. 20 B Y E
Note. Y = yes response; N = no response; E = electronic; P = paper; B = electronic and
paper.
Dashes indicate that information was not furnished or did not apply.
50
Appendix E
Retrieval Time of Hazardous Materials Inventory Records
Fire departments
Storage
medium available
Retrieval time
for electronic records
Retrieval time
for paper records Dept. 1 B Under 5 min. -
Dept. 2 B Under 5 min. Under 5 min.
Dept. 3 E Under 5 min. -
Dept. 4 P - 11 to 15 min.
Dept. 5 P - 5 to 10 min.
Dept. 7 E 5 to 10 min. -
Dept. 8 P Under 5 min.
Dept. 9 E Under 5 min. -
Dept. 10 P - Under 5 min.
Dept. 11 E Under 5 min. -
Dept. 12 B Under 5 min. -
Dept. 16 E Under 5 min. -
Dept. 17 E Under 5 min. -
Dept. 18 E 5 to 10 min. -
Dept. 19 P - 5 to 10 min.
Dept. 20 E Under 5 min. -
Note. Y = yes response; N = no response; E = electronic; P = paper; B = electronic and
paper.
Dashes indicate that information was not furnished or did not apply.