What is your HAZMAT team made up of?

[LFD_FF17]

Here in Edmonton we have 1 station that is designated as the Dangerous Goods station.

It has:
DG1- which is the frist out dangerous goods truck which is probably a typical dangerous goods / hazmat truck, it seems like it to me, I havent seen any other ones but i thing its typical. The truck itself looks like a big rescue, its an International, from about 1995. (3 Firefighters, 1 Captian)

Pump2- Normal pump, nothing special on it but when DG-1 gets a call and arrives on scene and is confirmed that it is a ligitamte call Pump2 goes out of service and becomes DG-2. The truck itself is a typical pump is a Superior that is identical to the E-One Hush unit, from about 1994. ( 3 Firefighers 1 Captian)

DG-2 - Back up DG unit, goes on calls when DG-1 is out has everything DG-1 has, its just smaller, its the old DG-1. The truck itself is a cab and chassis E-350 with a cube-van-type body on it, from the early 90's. (Crew from the pump)

Aerial2- Actually a Quint but just used as an aerial. But it has water and jaws and airbags unlike the other aerials we have. It has a 100ft ladder on it. It is a Pierce from about 1996. ( 1 Firefighter, 1 Lieutenant)

DG-3- Semi truck used for decontamination, it has 3 showers in it aswell as an incident command office and space the medics use for examining patients. The truck is a old Kenworth that the Department got from CN. (Crew from the Aerial)

I am not a firefighter but i have been told that Edmonton has the biggest Dangerous Goods/HAZMAT team in Canada and 2nd biggest in North America, behind Houston, because of all the gas and oil we have around our aera. The Dangerous Goods team responds all over Northern Alberta.

Firefighterkid

[TiSme]

Just a question for ya.

If pump2 renames it's call sign to DG-2, What does DG-2 rename to?

I don't know if this is common practise for other departments or not. I know our units have only been active renamed when they where sent to BC for the fire's the one year. That was to fit with the forestries standards. Otherwise they never change call signs. But we are also a town not a large center.

Just curious and wanted to ask.

Let's be safe out there!!

[LFD_FF17]

It's call sign isnt changed. Pump2 goes out of service and the crew gets on an completly different truck that is DG-2. When the pump is in service DG-2 is out of service because that means that DG-1 is in service. When DG-1 is out then Pump2 goes out of service and DG-2 comes into service.

It's a little complicated.

Firefighterkid

[TiSme]

Ahhhhhh .... got it ..... to simple ... the crew moves :D totally missed that one.

Thanx

[jeffreyclark]

I am on a private hazmat team in Edmonton and was wondering if the whole edmonton crew respods or if it is just the decon trailer?

[LFD_FF17]

I don't think the decon trailer goes by itself anywhere, unless it is going somewhere out of town on a call but DG-1 or DG-2 or both always go with it. They respond alone to all DG calls DG-1 first then DG-2

[firefighter26]

Well, apparently our Hazmat services are coming from the mainland. Delta I think? Not 100% sure as I am partially out of the loop still. I for one wish there was one a little closer. I remember reading something about them having access to helicopters or something to get over to the island faster. Not sure how that is going to work with their major equipment like apparatus and decon trailers, etc.

Any of you mainlanders feel free to throw in any information you have!

When we had the propane tanker roll over in 2000 it was, if my memory services me correctly, nearly 10-12 hours before a hazmat crew managed to make it over from the mainland. That is a long time to sit there and watch a 38000 litre propane tanker on its side with a 3inch jet of propane leaking out and washing across the highway. The pucker factor was pretty high for the first few hours and we are lucky we didn't end up with a good sized hole in the side of the mountain!

[bestcoast]

[font=Verdana]Well, apparently our Hazmat services are coming from the mainland. Delta I think?
I believe Delta just finished their Tech training a few weeks back. Pretty quick to be considered as a mutaual aid department for a major Hazmat Incident.I would have figured it would be a more estalblished team like our's or Surrey's team but who know's. Doesn't Victoria or Saanich have one??.........BC

[firefighter26]

Doesn't Victoria or Saanich have one??.........BC

As far as I know neither do. I do remember DND Esquimalt having a team way back when but I believe it was closed.

I would have figured it would be a more estalblished team like our's or Surrey's team but who know's.

My mistake, it was Surrey's team. I guess I got to the two articles mixed up (the one saying Surrey would be coming over and the one where Delta finished their training).

Here is a copy of an article I found online that probably clears things up a little.

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http://www.surreyleader.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=73&cat=43&id=426323&more=

Elite team into the 'hot zone' (http://www.surreyleader.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=73&cat=43&id=&more=)

By Kevin Diakiw
Staff Reporter
May 15 2005

Surrey's Hazardous Materials Team (Hazmat) may soon be responsible for cleaning up serious chemical spills in the Victoria area, and eventually could be used throughout the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD).

Surrey's 60-member Hazmat unit is drawing interest from several areas, partly due to cost savings, but also because this city's level of expertise.
"Probably a large percentage of the technicians in the Lower Mainland have been trained and certified by Surrey's team," said Surrey Fire Chief Len Garis.

The first area to consider using Surrey's elite team is a region covering 16 municipalities around Victoria. The Leader has learned the Capital Regional District (CRD) is preparing a contract with the City of Surrey to handle dangerous substances, such as toxic fumes, methamphetamine labs, biohazards (such as anthrax) and radioactive materials.

When a serious spill occurs in the Vancouver Island region, officials will call Surrey, which will send nine specialists by helicopter to the "hot zone." It will take Surrey's rapid response team less than 90 minutes to arrive.

Surrey would backfill local shifts with off-duty personnel, and the CRD would pay for Surrey's overtime costs.

The unusual proposal comes at the end of an extensive study into possible Hazmat Rapid Response options for the CRD. The report, obtained from the CRD, indicates it would cost the region about $35,000 a day to acquire Surrey's services, which over five years will save that region more than $1 million.

It's a only a matter of time, some suggest, before those type of savings occur throughout the GVRD. "We've had a few discussions with the Township of Langley," said Garis, adding a region-wide service is under consideration.
Surrey's Hazmat team, along with Vancouver's two, could act as a regional response team in much the same fashion as policing initiatives such as the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team.

The CRD contract is still being drafted and requires approval from Surrey council.

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I thought the TC article I read a few weeks ago was more indepth and had actually reported that a contract was signed, but I have been studying and reading so much in the last few weeks that it starts to blur and blend together after a while.

Regardless of who is coming I hope they can bring the equipment they need with them. The tanker rolled @ 10:30ish PM and the team and their equipment had to take the ferry over the next morning, which explains why it took so long.

Hazmat, here on the island, is lacking probably second only to disaster perpardness, which is really sad when you think about all the nice chemicals that travel up and down the TCH, especially now that the E&N railway isn't carrying as much frieght, etc. (incidently enough, both the TCH and E&N run through our fire protection district and all we can muster is one, maybe two, firefighters with "awarness level" training. Pretty sad when you consider three of us who have not been allowed back have it but where not "overall suitable" for the positions anymore... more on this later as I have some updates to post soon).

[bestcoast]

That make's more sense that it was Surrey. When I was seconded to Vancouver's Hazmat Team in 1997 I was told our team could be deployed anywhere in BC and parts of the Yukon.With well over 100 tech's and two fully equipt teams I guess they figured we could handle it. We have done mutual aid calls to cities in the lower mainland but nothing further like Vancouver Island. Sending guy's in a helicopter to survey the scene still doesn't answer the question you already asked.....The Equipment!!!....With Vancouver Island's population growing like it is there is no reason a fully trained team shouldn't be established. But as usual the ole mighty dollar win's out again!!...:(....BC...

[firefighter26]

Sending guy's in a helicopter to survey the scene still doesn't answer the question you already asked.....The Equipment!!!....With Vancouver Island's population growing like it is there is no reason a fully trained team shouldn't be established. But as usual the ole mighty dollar win's out again!!...:(....BC...

Bingo!

Unless the lower island municipalities are planning on joint purchasing their own equipment only to have Surrey fly over and man it during an emergency. That would pave the way for establishing a southern vancouver island team in the future and slowly phasing out needing techs flown in from the mainland.

However, that would probably be the common sense thing to do so we all know it isn't likely to happen!

With the way funding and politics are it is just as easy to fly a team in without equipment because it "looks good on paper" and re-assures the population that everything will be alright when things go wrong. I guess only time will tell how this theory is going to work in the real world.

It is really about playing the odds, and eventually the odds will not go in the favour of the penny pinching politicians and a bunch of innocent people (including the first firefighters on scene) are going to suffer... all over a "calculated risk."

[firemedic379]

Hi Jason,

Well surprising enough something is making sense for once. I am in the haz tech program here in Surrey (just finished day 4) and there are two Saanich captains in the class.

Now from them and our instructors, Surrey is still in negiotations with the CRD and south CVRD but nothing yet. The theory is the haz techs on shift would respond in ......? presumably rotor wing large enough to hold 12 members. The talk is Heli Jet does sched. flights to Victoria from Vancouver daily and just creatively aquire that. We used to use a similar helicopter when I work wildland and we could transport 20 guys and gear so, in theory, enough room.

Now the equipment would be cached with Saanich Fire in a couple of containers very similar to our POD truck here. This would respond as well with the techs from here.

The biggest thing I have learn so far any way is: " HazMat is a non contact sport" & " All HazMat incidents are self mitigating given time!" So the good thing is if it takes awhile from the brothers from the mainland here to get to the island, the problem may have mitigated itself by then ;).

Cheers,

Derek SFD 379