FEMA Region X Monthly Hazmat "Update" 

Release Date: July 1, 1999
Release Number: R10-99-34

» 1999 Region X News Releases

This monthly update is produced in an effort to keep hazardous materials program personnel up to date in the areas of exercises, training, and planning. If you have a contribution or wish other items posted in this "Update", please contact Mike Hammond at FEMA Region X headquarters at (425) 487 4775 or email at, mike.hammond@fema.gov.

This update is for the period of 7-1-99 to 10-1-99.

Quotes Of The Month
"Sure, it's going to kill a lot of people, but they may be dying of something else anyway." Othal Brand, member of a Texas pesticide review board, on chlordane.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." Richard P. Feynman

Web Page Highlight (your Additions Are Welcome)

Hazardous Materials Advisory Council
www.hmac.org Mission Statement: "HMAC promotes improvements in the safe transportation of hazardous materials/dangerous goods globally by: providing education, assistance, and information to the private and public sectors; through our unique status with regulatory bodies; and the diversity and technical strengths of our membership." Provides a mailing list and numbers of other services.

Canadian Centre for Emergency Preparedness
www.ccep.ca The Canadian Centre for Emergency Preparedness was incorporated in 1993 as a partnership between the Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth and Hamilton's Mohawk College of applied Arts and Technology. Its mandate is to assist communities, governments and private businesses to prepare for, prevent, respond to, and recover from man-made or natural disasters."

Anyone else have a good or interesting Web Site?

SERC & LEPC MEETINGS

Washington 9-23-99, Spokane, in conjunction with WA State Emergency Managers, Assoc. Meeting.

Oregon July 30, 1999, Salem, Quarterly LEPC meeting

Idaho As Needed, Contact Bill Bishop for more information. (208) 334 3263

Alaska 7-20-99, Anchorage, LEPC workshop
7-21-99, Anchorage, SERC Meeting
10-19-99, Anchorage, LEPC workshop
10-20-99, Anchorage, SERC meeting

Training And Exercises
Contact The Provider Or Mike Hammond For More Information. Course Dates And Times May Change, Be Sure To Check Before The Class

Date Subject Sponsor Other
7-12 TO 7-15 HazMat On Scene ICS WA State Patrol 360-753 0398
7-12 TO 7-16 Disaster Recovery Operations Beaverton, OR 503-378-2911
7-13 TO 7-15 ICS Train-the-trainer WA State at Spokane 253-512-7048
7-26 TO 7-30 Hazwoper Technician WA State Patrol 360-753-0398
7-27 TO 7-29 Principles of Emergency Management, PDS series WA State 253-512-7048
Possible location change
7-31 HazMat hazards analysis Eugene, OR 503-378-2911
7-29 States, British Columbia
Oil Spill Task Force		 Valdez, AK 503-229-5720
8-2 TO 8-5 HazMat on scene Incident Commander WA State Patrol 360-753-0398
8-23 TO 8-26 HazMat on scene IC WA State Patrol 360-753-0398
8-10 TO 8-12 ICS train-the-trainer WA State 253-512-7048
9-21 ICS Introduction Dubois, ID 208-334-0984
9-22 TO 9-23 ICS/EOC interface Dubois, ID 208-334-0984
9-14 Public Officials Conf. Salem, OR 503-378-2911
9-16 Public Officials Conf. Bend, OR 503-378-2911
Exercises
7-29 SBCCOM Anchorage, AK Functional
June 99 Y2K tabletops WA State Various locations
8-12 WNP2 Drill WA Radiological Lab & Food Control Contact FEMA
9-4 TO 9-8 SBCCOM Portland Contact FEMA
September 99 Y2K tabletops FEMA HQ and Regions Contact FEMA

Your Exercise And Training Dates Are Welcome At This Site, Just Email The Information To Me

Miscellaneous Announcements

Free Publications:
COHMED Reporter
COHMED stands for Cooperative Hazardous Materials Enforcement Development. I first became aware of this organization several years ago when they had one of their conferences (They usually have two a year) in Seattle. I felt that I got a lot of good information from the conference even though it was based heavily on enforcement. One good thing about it was that there was a lot of representation from private industry present and also presenting at the conference. The spring 99 issue contains articles on; FHWA Cargo Tank Safety Advisory, BLEVE, NBC terrorism and others. Their next conference is October 17 - 21 at the Adam's Mark in Kansas City, MO. To get on their mailing list and receive a copy of the newsletter, write; Georgia Public Service Commission, Editor, Capt. Bruce Bugg, Transportation Division, 1007 Virginia Ave. Suite 310, Hapeville, GA 30354-1325.

I am running out of free publications, and need your help. Does anyone out there have a publication that they feel could be of value to the rest of us in the HazMat field? If so, let me know and I will be happy to include it in this section. I am also willing to post information on those publications which are not free, but which you find to be of some use in the field of HazMat.

Thoughts, Notes And Ideas From Here & There

  1. I am still looking for any of the terrorism Internet sites that you might be using and that were not included in the mailing I sent out some time ago. If you still need a copy of those addresses, let me know. Also, if you know of a site that goes out of service, let me know and I will make the appropriate changes and notifications.
  2. Are you a frustrated writer or would just like to use a soapbox. Opinions gladly printed here, provided they are free of gratuitous violence, etc.
  3. June 17 to 19 I participated in a DOE exercise at the Tri-Cities. The drill involved the State of Washington and three counties in Eastern Washington. My evaluator's post was at Franklin County EOC where the drill went well and they learned a number of things, which could improve the operation. On Saturday we went to Connell, Washington for a decon drill where community volunteers did the monitoring. Again, some valuable lessons were learned and vital skills practiced.
  4. Several people have asked me what a good library for an LEPC should contain. Understanding that many LEPCs are not funded, free reference material is appreciated. There are, however a number of Other good reference books which do cost money. I am asking for your input on this matter. Below, I have listed some of the reference library material that we have here at FEMA region X. These items, unless otherwise noted, are available for the asking. I have looked elsewhere, and have not found a good listing of what this sort of library should contain In your reply, let me know where to get the reference and if there is a cost, what the approximate cost of that item happens to be. These are not listed in any particular order. If you think that some of these suggestions are not needed, let me know that also.
    1. Hazardous Materials Workshop for EMS Providers
    2. Hazardous Materials Information Management
    3. Facility's Coordinators Role and the LEPC (Out of Stock, but will order if needed)
    4. Community Awareness and Right to Know
    5. Exercising Emergency Plans Under SARA Title III
    6. Hazardous Materials Workshop for Law Enforcement
    7. It's Not Over in October - A Guide for LEPCs
    8. Hazardous Substances in Our Environment - A Citizens Guide to Understanding Health Risks and Reducing Exposure
    9. Hazardous Materials Information Exchange (HMIX)
    10. Hazardous Materials an Introduction for Public Officials
    11. Simulation Techniques for Hazardous Materials Exercises (Brochure)
    12. Hazardous Materials Emergency Planning Guide NRT-1
    13. Criteria For Review of Hazardous Materials Emergency Plans NRT-1A
    14. Developing a Hazardous Materials Exercise Program NRT-2
    15. A Guide for Developing State, Tribal and Local Radiological Emergency Response Plans and Programs for Transportation
    16. Program for Hazardous Materials Emergencies in Rail yards - A Guide for RailRoads and Adjacent Communities.

  5. The Governor of Oregon, John A. Kitzhaber, has declared August 2000 to be, "Certified Hazardous Materials Managers Month". This is in conjunction with the Academy of Certified Hazardous Materials Managers (ACHMM) conference which will be held during that month at the Jantzen Beach Doubletree Inn. The theme for this conference is, "Facing the Challenge of the 21st Century".
  6. There is a draft report out on the HazMat summit held at Dulles Airport recently. When this gets out of draft form I will try to have copies available or tell you where to get them.
  7. On June 9 and 10 I attended a HazMat Focus group meeting at EMI. The group looked at the entire FEMA offering of HazMat courses and made recommendations on updating, changing, adding, or deletion of some courses. When I have more information on the compilation of the final comments, I will include what I can in the UPDATE.

HazMat Team Profile

Team: Everett, Washington (Snohomish County)
Chief Of Department: Terry Ollis
HazMat Chief: Dave Moses
Population Served: 87,000
Total Department Personnel: 160
HazMat Personnel: 42 Trained to the Technician Level, all support personnel are trained to the Operations Level.
Type Of Equipment: 1975 Chevrolet converted Bread Truck, Decon Trailer, Trailer includes a warm water shower that can accommodate approximately 30 people an hour.
# Of Calls Per Year: In 1997 there were 3 level A incidents, 0 Level B incidents and 64 total HazMat calls. Challenges And Goals: Funding for a new HazMat vehicle has been approved. Specifications and bids should be completed in two months. The Everett HazMat team has approached the City Council with a proposal to respond outside the city limits on specialized calls such as Meth Labs. At present, they do respond outside the city on request for mutual aid and requests from the State on the Fire Mobilization Plan. This is due largely to the availability of reimbursement by EPA and the State on Meth Lab calls.

Terrorism Notes

The DOJ grants are STILL on hold. Presently, it is hoped that by the fall they will be ready to go.

The GAO report on the RAID teams has been finalized. To read the document, try the website address of, http://www.gao.gov/new.items/ns99110.pdf. It is titled, "Combating Terrorism: Use of National Guard Response Teams is Unclear. NSAID-99-110. 27pp. Plus 4 appendices (21pp). Dated May 21, 1999

The World Trade Organization Public Safety Committee is meeting twice a month and has several subcommittees meeting also. This is in preparation for the meeting in Seattle November and early December 1999.

I have available for those interested in a copy the following from a class in Mass Fatality Incidents held in Oregon recently; Agenda, 4 exercise scenarios, information on critical incident debriefing for mass fatality incidents, the Oregon Plan for Mass Fatality incidents, the Oklahoma plan for Mass Fatalities, California State plan on Terrorism response, and the California local planning guidance on terrorism response. If you would like a copy of any of the items mentioned, please contact me.

Last Modified: Friday, 09-Jan-2004 14:48:42