Hazards and Hazmat
The hazards and hazmat topic section covers operations involving hazardous materials, including chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive (CBRNE) incidents.
Investigators are still unclear how the propane ignited; the blast killed Sterling Firefighter Trevor Brown
Check your knowledge of carbon monoxide poisoning causes, symptoms and protective strategies on scene
The explosion killed Sterling Firefighter Trevor Brown and injured 10 others
Getting the material to weapons grade would require expertise and a laboratory
The company’s own risk plan said its materials were not a fire or explosion hazard
One resident said in the small community everyone knows who the volunteer responders are
I’m in awe of the dedication of those volunteers who answered the first tone
Radio traffic from West, Texas, shows effort to coordinate large-scale incident response
Letters were sent to President Obama and Sen. Roger Wicker
The department also added lighted vein finders
Firefighters took cover behind the trucks until the situation was clear; it is unknown if the shots were related to the fire
One officer said it was the largest lab he’d seen in his 15-year career; evidence collection took 7 hours
It is believed that there are tens of thousands of unexploded bombs still in the ground
Fourteen cars derailed, dumping as much as 30,000 gallons of oil
Woman was unresponsive in the driver’s seat, with a bucket of unknown liquid and containers of muriatic acid near her
There were no reported injuries to firefighters
Emerging technology may change the way our protective gear is made
Jet fuel that leaked into basement is still a concern for firefighters
The chemicals used in the factory contributed to the rapid fire growth and contaminated runoff water
Toxic gasses and only one entrance made rescue efforts difficult
The ensuing fire was so hot that it nearly welded the locomotives together
There is a growing body of evidence showing that contaminated air after the fire poses a serious health risk
In both cases the suspicious powder was not hazardous
Fire chief says they found no traces of vapors, but those could have been cleared by the ventilation system
Even with the passage of decades, our most tragic fires still hold lessons that can keep present-day firefighters safe
Firefighters treated and decontaminated 30 people
A wood stove used to heat the home caused the fire that claimed two children and three adults
Firefighters make defensive attack on the abandoned warehouse
The class was conducting experiments with hexane, a hydrocarbon found in gasoline
The fire was controlled within minutes; authorities suspect there may have been a drug lab in the hotel