One problem with responding to spills incidental to transportation is knowing what chemical or chemicals that might be involved in the spill. And usually the first on the scene is a law enforcement officer, who normally have little or no training about how the deal with such an incident. In most tabletop HazMat drills, the police officers were killed. So an early warning supplement for police officers has been developed to help them in the first 30-60 minutes of an incident. The International Union of Police Associations developed this program.
It is OREIS™, Operation Respond Emergency Information System. Information about this is at www.oreis.org. OREIS™ automatically links to CAMEO.
Operation Respond® is a program designed to improve the information available to first responders at hazardous material and passenger train incidents. One of its primary focuses is the national distribution of the Operation Respond Emergency Information System ( OREIS™).
OREIS™ is a communications system with lifesaving potential. The software connects police and fire departments with the databases of railroad and motor carriers, so in the event of any hazardous materials incident, First Responders can obtain quick, accurate information on the cargo contents.
Emergency responder visually identifies a trailer. Clicks on OREIS™ on an onboard laptop or radios local emergency communications center. OREIS™ connects to the carrier database. The first responder (police or fire) receives an electronic verification of the cargo, immediate hazards, instructions on emergency actions, and emergency contacts. OREIS™ is designed by experienced field personnel in both transportation & emergency services. It is a practical and applied system designed for simplicity and speed in operation. Compliments existing systems, such as Chemtrec or Chemtel. Promotes elective, easy to use placard & UN number emergency response guidelines.
Another concept is to have "cheat sheets" in the law enforcement and responder vehicles. People do not always recall all the specifics about chemical emergencies, no matter how much or how recent the training. Firebelle Productions, at P.O. Box 110848, Campbell, CA 95011-0848, 1-800-477-7151, offers "The First Responder's Pocket Guide to Hazardous Materials Emergency Response."
The 1996 North American Emergency Response Guidebook (NAERG96) was developed jointly by Transport Canada (TC), the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation of Mexico (SCT) for use by fire fighters, police, and other emergency services personnel who may be the first to arrive at the scene of a transportation incident involving dangerous goods. It is primarily a guide to aid first responders in quickly identifying the specific or generic hazards of the material(s) involved in the incident, and protecting themselves and the general public during the initial response phase of the incident.
This guidebook will assist responders in making initial decisions upon arriving at the scene of a dangerous goods incident. It is primarily designed for use at a dangerous goods incident occurring on a highway or railroad. Be mindful that there may be limited value in its application at fixed facility locations. Guidebook Link: http://hazmat.dot.gov/gydebook.htm http://hazmat.dot.gov/ergcoord.htm
CHEMICAL SAFETY BOARD (CSB)'s "CHEMICAL INCIDENT REPORTS CENTER" WEBSITE
Throughout the day, every day, the Chemical Safety Board (CSB) receives initial reports about chemical incidents that have occurred around the world. The information comes from official government sources, the news media, eyewitnesses and others.
The CSB:
The sheer volume of incident reports received each day exceeds the investigative resources of the CSB or any other single organization.Yet sharing knowledge of these incidents may make it possible for others to take actions that may contribute to improving chemical safety.
Therefore, the Chemical Safety Board has committed resources to create and maintain the Chemical Incident Reports Center (CIRC) website. This dynamic, searchable online database of chemical incidents, although subject to limitations inherent in any compilation of information of this type (see disclaimer below), may enable or inspire actions by a researcher, a government agency or others in support of improving chemical safety.
Disclaimer: The Chemical Incident Reports Center (CIRC) is an information service provided by the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB). Users of this service should note that the contents of the CIRC are not intended to be a comprehensive listing of all incidents that have occurred; many incidents go unreported or are not entered into the database. Also, although the CSB never knowingly posts inaccurate information, the CSB is unable to independently verify all information that it receives from its various sources, much of which is based on initial reports. CIRC users should also note that the CSB receives more comprehensive reports about incidents that occur in the U.S.; comparisons made between U.S. incidents and those in other nations should take this fact into consideration.