Hazards and Hazmat
The hazards and hazmat topic section covers operations involving hazardous materials, including chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive (CBRNE) incidents.
Hazmat teams removed debris from underneath a mile-long section of I-10 for an inspection of the freeway
Orange County officials shut down local schools after testing found high levels of asbestos, lead, arsenic, and nickel
First responders, hazmat teams investigated suspicious envelopes at four sites across two counties
The reason the tank exploded has not yet been determined
By next week toxic bank tower will complete its $300 million dismantling process
Crews patched the railcar that spilled acid and were preparing to empty the remaining liquid into a tanker
Series of explosions ripped through pistol and rifle plant
Two EMS responders, two police officers, and at least six churchgoers were also taken to hospitals; the cause is a mystery
One person woke up feeling ill early in the morning and alerted the others
Officials are trying to freeze the gas to stop the leak, and sent a tanker truck to siphon the remaining propane in the tank
The injured were employees of a local contractor that was conducting routine duct work cleaning
Rescue workers kept situation under control at the Snowshoe resort after finding employees unconscious
July blast not blamed on gas company
After more than 12 hours of searching, crews on Wednesday night instead recovered the bodies of a salesman and clerical worker who were killed in the natural gas explosion
Hazardous materials team determined carbon monoxide likely came from plant’s gas-fired heaters
Massive blast was felt as much as a mile away
In a 911 call, a maid described a strong smell of gasoline and said five young men appeared unconscious
Two survivors told firefighters that at least some of the people inside were unconscious when the building went up in flames
Major gas leak at a vacant home last week forced firefighters to evacuate neighbors and barricade the street
The explosion occurred as 20-pound propane tanks used in heaters on the set of the film were being filled from a tanker truck
Jamie Hinton, the volunteer fire chief of tiny Magnolia Springs, came up with a plan to stop the Gulf oil spill from entering the Magnolia River
Two responders were on their lunch break at McDonald’s when the CO meters started ringing
FDNY Capt. Michael Barvels credits firefighters’ use of training, size-up skills, instinct, and experience in preventing casualties and damage
The one phrase that kept running through Chief Ron Lavezzo’s mind was “your value is based on observable behavior and measurable results”
Volunteer firefighter John Kelly and a public worker were killed by poisonous sewer gas
When firefighters pulled up to the scene, they found the home on fire
When firefighters arrived, carbon monoxide levels were 159 parts per million
Firefighters responded to reports of smoke in an apartment, then discovered homemade bombs and explosive materials
Elderly couple refused to let firefighters through the right of way to fight a dangerous gas leak at a neighbor’s house
EPA monitoring cleanup of underground pipe leak
Fire fighting delayed until Department of Environmental Protection advised what to do about the potentially hazardous runoff
Although the company handles chemicals, there reportedly have been no evacuations in the area
The plan was to stoke a fire so hot — at least 1,800 degrees — that it would neutralize the volatile chemicals before they could cause major explosions