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This incident provides emphasis for several important points that relate to incidents in hazardous materials occupancies and, in particular, to firefighter health and safety. It reinforced the three priority considerations for a hazardous materials incident:
- Life Safety
- Protection of the Environment
- Protection of Property
Specific lessons learned include the following:
- A fire department must be active in prevention, planning and information management to be prepared when a serious fire occurs.
In this fire, knowledge of the hazards involved was sufficient to keep firefighters out of the building and to reduce the risk of serious injury or exposure. The available information was managed well and proved to be extremely valuable.Although persistent efforts to enforce code requirements were unsuccessful the Fire Department established that it tried to take the actions within its power to prevent this incident.
- Access to reserves of specialized skills and equipment may be needed in a hazardous materials incident.
The availability of the inspector who had conducted code enforcement activities to respond to the incident proved very helpful to the incident commander. On the other hand, more trained decontamination personnel were needed, as well as a reserve of decontamination equipment and supplies. Assistance had to be requested from distant sources.
- A finance officer should be assigned at incidents where the need for extensive accounting and cost recovery activities can be anticipated.
Several agencies and private sector organizations are currently involved in analyzing the financial outcome of this incident.
- When evacuating an area, even businesses that appear to be closed need to be checked for occupants.
At least one occupant was found to have spent the night in an occupancy inside the immediate danger area, unaware of the fire. Also, better perimeter control was needed to restrict access to the evacuated area and the area where operations were conducted.
- The incident commander needs to develop a viable contingency plan, in case the primary plan proves unsuccessful.
A wind shift and a change in fire conditions made it necessary to abandon the original plan, relocate, and regroup. This process caused an excessive delay in decontaminating the entry team and could have had more severe consequences.
- Procedures are needed to turn over control of the incident scene to other agencies after the Fire Department has completed its primary activities.
After the incident commander's function was terminated, there was no single source of information or direction with respect to the incident. A single post-incident point of contact is needed within the Fire Department, as well as clear identification of the agency assuming jurisdiction over the incident site. Other agencies involved in hazardous materials incidents are often not accustomed to assuming control of the scene in a structured manner.
- Hazardous materials teams need guidance on the proper protective ensembles to wear when faced with a combination fire/chemical incident.
During the overhaul stage of this fire, the B-level protection over regular turnout clothing proved to be adequate. Normally, entry to this type of hazard would be made with A-level protection, but the current ensembles do not interface with fire protective clothing.
- Safety officers and supervisors need to remain vigilant throughout every incident.
Extended duration incidents require constant observation by supervisors and safety officers to ensure that safety procedures are maintained.
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