house of ingri - store
lilac the grumpy gorilla - i soooo want this!!
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Hazardous Materials Emergencies: "We Learn Something Every Time" - / iBerkshires.com - The Berkshires online guide to events, news and Berkshire County community information.
Hazardous Materials Emergencies: "We Learn Something Every Time" - / iBerkshires.com - The Berkshires online guide to events, news and Berkshire County community information.Hazardous Materials Emergencies: "We Learn Something Every Time"
By Jen Thomas - June 19, 2007
City firefighter David Simon donned the protective clothing necessary for a hazardous materials decontamination situation. [Photo by Jen Thomas]
North Adams - A professional partnership between city firefighters and North Adams Regional Hospital employees means both groups have a training advantage in the event of a hazardous materials contamination incident.
Earlier today, a mass decontamination training was held at the hosiptal. The session included sending "victims" through a tent-like structure used during chemical contaminant removal. Patients enter one end of the tent, called the "hot zone," are hosed down by scrubbers and water jets, and exit at the "cool zone" where they can be admitted into the hospital without fear of spreading chemical agents.
The goal is safety for the patient, those working to decontaminate individuals, and the employees and patients inside the hospital.
"We're trying to learn how to keep the contaminant out of the hospital while working together," said Matthew LaBonte, an acting lieutenant in the NAFD.
Acting Lt. Matt LaBonte was given a vital signs examination by EMT Kevin Alicea. [Photo by Jen Thomas]
LaBonte and firefighter David Simon donned Level A protective gear, which is necessary in cases where maximum skin, respiratory and eye protection is required. The pair were stationed at the center of the decontamination unit, where their training was in washing incapacitated victims.
Firefighter Michael Roberts acted role of the victim and volunteered to undergo spraying for the sake of education.
"This is my second time being the victim," he said. "It's not bad, but it's one of those things you hope you never have to use in real life."
The simulation gave employees of the NAFD and NARH an opportunity to ask questions of LaBonte and Director of Facilities Darryl Smith, who were in charge of constructing and executing the afternoon training.
"Today was more of a training than a drill; it was less about time and efficiency and more about familiarizing ourselves with the equipment better," Smith said. "We learn something every time the fire department comes out to do one of these."
The training requires hospital participants to stand at the entrance and provide volunteer "contaminated victims" with accurate instructions in removing their clothing, placing their personal items in sealed protective bags and moving through the decontamination unit. The interactive training requires both fire department and hospital personnel to demonstrate "don and doff," the process of putting on and removing the protective suits.
Firefghters David Simon and Matt LaBonte "decontaminate" firefighter Micheal Roberts during today's training session. [Photo by Jen Thomas]
"We’re trying to become familiar with everything, including the gear," said LaBonte.
With a set-up that includes a full head-to-toe chemical protective suit complete with hood, rubber boots, gloves, and mouth piece, the practice is necessary. The firefighters use supplied air in the decontamination unit and may utlize the air supply for an hour, according to hospital regulations.
In case of emergency, on a typical day, during daytime hours, between eight and 16 staff people would be available to administer decontamination showers to victims, according to Smith.
"At least eight is an efficient team," Smith said. LaBonte said he thought 12 staff personnel would be perfect, with four assigned to each of the three segments of the tent.
The training comes as part of an International Fire and EMS Safety Stand Down Week. The week's theme, "Ready to Respond," will focus on proper training and equipment and will prepare firefighters and emergency medical technicians to respond to, mitigate and return home safely from an emergency, as outlined by the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the International Association of Fire Fighters, and the Volunteer and Combination Officers Section (VCOS) of the IAFC.
"It focuses on safety all week long, whether it's trainings or just wearing a safety belt on the way to a call," said LaBonte.
LaBonte, Smith, Roberts and Simon agreed that the training was successful in better preparing everyone involved for a chemical emergency, but there are always more wrinkles to be ironed out.
"In real life, this would be chaotic, so the training is important," said Roberts. "It’s great experience and the hospital staff are going to be major players."
LaBonte said that the fire department has paired up with the NARH for this kind of training on previous occasions. The city has not yet needed a mass decontamination tent but it’s important that both sets of personnel are properly trained, he emphasized.
"We’re trying to get different people to learn, and I think it’s going to be a combination of the hospital and the fire department that makes [the process] work," said Simon.
Jen Thomas may be reached via e-mail at jthomas@iberkshires.com or at 413-663-3384 ext. 23.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
iBerkshires • 106 Main Street • P.O. Box 1787
North Adams, MA 01247 • tel: 413.663.3384 • fax: 413.663.3615 • info@iberkshires.com
By Jen Thomas - June 19, 2007
City firefighter David Simon donned the protective clothing necessary for a hazardous materials decontamination situation. [Photo by Jen Thomas]
North Adams - A professional partnership between city firefighters and North Adams Regional Hospital employees means both groups have a training advantage in the event of a hazardous materials contamination incident.
Earlier today, a mass decontamination training was held at the hosiptal. The session included sending "victims" through a tent-like structure used during chemical contaminant removal. Patients enter one end of the tent, called the "hot zone," are hosed down by scrubbers and water jets, and exit at the "cool zone" where they can be admitted into the hospital without fear of spreading chemical agents.
The goal is safety for the patient, those working to decontaminate individuals, and the employees and patients inside the hospital.
"We're trying to learn how to keep the contaminant out of the hospital while working together," said Matthew LaBonte, an acting lieutenant in the NAFD.
Acting Lt. Matt LaBonte was given a vital signs examination by EMT Kevin Alicea. [Photo by Jen Thomas]
LaBonte and firefighter David Simon donned Level A protective gear, which is necessary in cases where maximum skin, respiratory and eye protection is required. The pair were stationed at the center of the decontamination unit, where their training was in washing incapacitated victims.
Firefighter Michael Roberts acted role of the victim and volunteered to undergo spraying for the sake of education.
"This is my second time being the victim," he said. "It's not bad, but it's one of those things you hope you never have to use in real life."
The simulation gave employees of the NAFD and NARH an opportunity to ask questions of LaBonte and Director of Facilities Darryl Smith, who were in charge of constructing and executing the afternoon training.
"Today was more of a training than a drill; it was less about time and efficiency and more about familiarizing ourselves with the equipment better," Smith said. "We learn something every time the fire department comes out to do one of these."
The training requires hospital participants to stand at the entrance and provide volunteer "contaminated victims" with accurate instructions in removing their clothing, placing their personal items in sealed protective bags and moving through the decontamination unit. The interactive training requires both fire department and hospital personnel to demonstrate "don and doff," the process of putting on and removing the protective suits.
Firefghters David Simon and Matt LaBonte "decontaminate" firefighter Micheal Roberts during today's training session. [Photo by Jen Thomas]
"We’re trying to become familiar with everything, including the gear," said LaBonte.
With a set-up that includes a full head-to-toe chemical protective suit complete with hood, rubber boots, gloves, and mouth piece, the practice is necessary. The firefighters use supplied air in the decontamination unit and may utlize the air supply for an hour, according to hospital regulations.
In case of emergency, on a typical day, during daytime hours, between eight and 16 staff people would be available to administer decontamination showers to victims, according to Smith.
"At least eight is an efficient team," Smith said. LaBonte said he thought 12 staff personnel would be perfect, with four assigned to each of the three segments of the tent.
The training comes as part of an International Fire and EMS Safety Stand Down Week. The week's theme, "Ready to Respond," will focus on proper training and equipment and will prepare firefighters and emergency medical technicians to respond to, mitigate and return home safely from an emergency, as outlined by the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the International Association of Fire Fighters, and the Volunteer and Combination Officers Section (VCOS) of the IAFC.
"It focuses on safety all week long, whether it's trainings or just wearing a safety belt on the way to a call," said LaBonte.
LaBonte, Smith, Roberts and Simon agreed that the training was successful in better preparing everyone involved for a chemical emergency, but there are always more wrinkles to be ironed out.
"In real life, this would be chaotic, so the training is important," said Roberts. "It’s great experience and the hospital staff are going to be major players."
LaBonte said that the fire department has paired up with the NARH for this kind of training on previous occasions. The city has not yet needed a mass decontamination tent but it’s important that both sets of personnel are properly trained, he emphasized.
"We’re trying to get different people to learn, and I think it’s going to be a combination of the hospital and the fire department that makes [the process] work," said Simon.
Jen Thomas may be reached via e-mail at jthomas@iberkshires.com or at 413-663-3384 ext. 23.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
iBerkshires • 106 Main Street • P.O. Box 1787
North Adams, MA 01247 • tel: 413.663.3384 • fax: 413.663.3615 • info@iberkshires.com
Griffin Technology: Elevator - Desktop Stand for Personal Computers
Griffin Technology: Elevator - Desktop Stand for Personal Computers: "Healthycomputing.com"
something i want for my laptop!!
Lift your laptop to a comfortable viewing height and reclaim your desktop.
Elevator’s sturdy brushed aluminum and minimal design go great with any desk decor.
Elevator holds your portable computer safely and securely at just the right height to match external monitors — and to save your aching neck.
Elevator conforms to health and safety standards, making your laptop safer and more comfortable to use all day long. Healthycomputing.com, the premier source for office ergonomics, recommends positioning the top of your screen level with your eyes and sitting at least an arm’s length distance from the screen. Both of these key ergonomic standards are made possible using Elevator with an external keyboard.
Features:
Elevates laptop screen 5.5" while providing valuable desktop real estate for your keyboard and mouse
Keeps laptop cool with 360 degrees of air circulation
Fıts all laptops— Mac or PC
something i want for my laptop!!
Lift your laptop to a comfortable viewing height and reclaim your desktop.
Elevator’s sturdy brushed aluminum and minimal design go great with any desk decor.
Elevator holds your portable computer safely and securely at just the right height to match external monitors — and to save your aching neck.
Elevator conforms to health and safety standards, making your laptop safer and more comfortable to use all day long. Healthycomputing.com, the premier source for office ergonomics, recommends positioning the top of your screen level with your eyes and sitting at least an arm’s length distance from the screen. Both of these key ergonomic standards are made possible using Elevator with an external keyboard.
Features:
Elevates laptop screen 5.5" while providing valuable desktop real estate for your keyboard and mouse
Keeps laptop cool with 360 degrees of air circulation
Fıts all laptops— Mac or PC
Labels:
i want
Monday, June 11, 2007
The Times West Virginian - State now moving on mine shelters
The Times West Virginian - State now moving on mine shelters
Published: June 10, 2007 01:19 am
State now moving on mine shelters
By Juliet A. Terry
The State Journal
West Virginia coal mines are set to begin installing underground refuge chambers in the coming months even though the federal government has yet to begin testing the shelters.
Plans are moving forward for full compliance with new mine safety laws requiring underground shelters in the Mountain State. None of the approved models has been used in coal mines before nor has any undergone practical environment testing using human test subjects. But engineers have signed off on the specifications and anticipated performance for each shelter.
The United Mine Workers of America supports moving forward, but the labor union’s top health and safety administrator said the group’s posture is based on information it has gotten from others.
“We’re going forward based on what everyone else has told us,” said Dennis O’Dell, administrator of the UMWA Department of Occupational Health and Safety. “Based on the information we were presented, we believe these will protect miners. If, in fact, there is a serious question about whether these actually will increase the health and safety of miners or possibly be dangerous, then they should stop and do additional testing.”
NIOSH Testing
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health is finalizing its protocol for testing refuge chambers at its Lake Lynn underground coal mine research laboratory.
Once the testing can begin, NIOSH scientists expect it will take about one week per unit, although many West Virginia coal mines already have placed orders for refuge chambers because of deadlines established in new mine safety rules.
The draft research protocol has been circulated among scientists and stakeholders, such as the West Virginia Mine Safety Technology Task Force, the UMWA and the National Mining Association.
“We asked them to have their comments in by June 8 ... and early next week, we’ll work our way through the changes. We hope to have the final protocol done by the end of next week,” said Dr. Eric Bauer, senior mining engineer at NIOSH.
The protocol details a 96-hour test during which NIOSH will measure the interior atmosphere of each refuge chamber.
“We will be testing the breathable atmosphere, whether these units are capable of creating a breathable environment for 96 hours,” Bauer said. “That includes CO2 scrubbing, (oxygen) and heat and humidity.”
West Virginia law requires that all approved shelters be able to sustain life for 96 hours. Bauer said NIOSH can simulate human occupancy in the shelters to determine how factors such as metabolic heat production affect the interior atmosphere. Scientists also will measure heat transfer through shelter walls.
Possible Human Testing
NIOSH also is working on a protocol for human testing, according to Dr. Jeffrey Kohler, director for mine safety and health research at NIOSH.
“For the last three to four weeks, we’ve have a team look at developing a protocol for human tests — a pulmonary physician, a general physician, psychologist, physiologist, engineers and other scientists — to determine the value of human subject testing versus a simulation,” Kohler said.
Even though many individuals such as O’Dell have stepped forward and volunteered to be test subjects, Kohler said NIOSH must comply with strict federal regulations controlling human testing. A private company that does not have federal funding would not have that hurdle, he said, but NIOSH does.
O’Dell said he fully supports additional mine shelter testing.
“If they want to do it, they’ve got plenty of volunteers out there,” he said. “If that’s necessary, and if it means a delay (in implementation) to afford the best protection for our miners, then that’s what we need to do.”
O’Dell said he also would not oppose a delay in West Virginia’s timeline to wait for NIOSH to finish its first round of testing.
“A month of additional tests would be a whole lot better than sticking these things underground and finding out they’re going to fail,” he said. “Everyone seems satisfied to move forward, but if there are experts out there who believe there is a problem, they need to step up to the plate and tell us. ... We don’t want to put the health and safety of miners at risk.”
Published: June 10, 2007 01:19 am
State now moving on mine shelters
By Juliet A. Terry
The State Journal
West Virginia coal mines are set to begin installing underground refuge chambers in the coming months even though the federal government has yet to begin testing the shelters.
Plans are moving forward for full compliance with new mine safety laws requiring underground shelters in the Mountain State. None of the approved models has been used in coal mines before nor has any undergone practical environment testing using human test subjects. But engineers have signed off on the specifications and anticipated performance for each shelter.
The United Mine Workers of America supports moving forward, but the labor union’s top health and safety administrator said the group’s posture is based on information it has gotten from others.
“We’re going forward based on what everyone else has told us,” said Dennis O’Dell, administrator of the UMWA Department of Occupational Health and Safety. “Based on the information we were presented, we believe these will protect miners. If, in fact, there is a serious question about whether these actually will increase the health and safety of miners or possibly be dangerous, then they should stop and do additional testing.”
NIOSH Testing
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health is finalizing its protocol for testing refuge chambers at its Lake Lynn underground coal mine research laboratory.
Once the testing can begin, NIOSH scientists expect it will take about one week per unit, although many West Virginia coal mines already have placed orders for refuge chambers because of deadlines established in new mine safety rules.
The draft research protocol has been circulated among scientists and stakeholders, such as the West Virginia Mine Safety Technology Task Force, the UMWA and the National Mining Association.
“We asked them to have their comments in by June 8 ... and early next week, we’ll work our way through the changes. We hope to have the final protocol done by the end of next week,” said Dr. Eric Bauer, senior mining engineer at NIOSH.
The protocol details a 96-hour test during which NIOSH will measure the interior atmosphere of each refuge chamber.
“We will be testing the breathable atmosphere, whether these units are capable of creating a breathable environment for 96 hours,” Bauer said. “That includes CO2 scrubbing, (oxygen) and heat and humidity.”
West Virginia law requires that all approved shelters be able to sustain life for 96 hours. Bauer said NIOSH can simulate human occupancy in the shelters to determine how factors such as metabolic heat production affect the interior atmosphere. Scientists also will measure heat transfer through shelter walls.
Possible Human Testing
NIOSH also is working on a protocol for human testing, according to Dr. Jeffrey Kohler, director for mine safety and health research at NIOSH.
“For the last three to four weeks, we’ve have a team look at developing a protocol for human tests — a pulmonary physician, a general physician, psychologist, physiologist, engineers and other scientists — to determine the value of human subject testing versus a simulation,” Kohler said.
Even though many individuals such as O’Dell have stepped forward and volunteered to be test subjects, Kohler said NIOSH must comply with strict federal regulations controlling human testing. A private company that does not have federal funding would not have that hurdle, he said, but NIOSH does.
O’Dell said he fully supports additional mine shelter testing.
“If they want to do it, they’ve got plenty of volunteers out there,” he said. “If that’s necessary, and if it means a delay (in implementation) to afford the best protection for our miners, then that’s what we need to do.”
O’Dell said he also would not oppose a delay in West Virginia’s timeline to wait for NIOSH to finish its first round of testing.
“A month of additional tests would be a whole lot better than sticking these things underground and finding out they’re going to fail,” he said. “Everyone seems satisfied to move forward, but if there are experts out there who believe there is a problem, they need to step up to the plate and tell us. ... We don’t want to put the health and safety of miners at risk.”
The Advertiser-Tribune
The Advertiser-Tribune
Had this been an actual emergency ...
By Zachary Petit
It’s about 6 p.m. Monday, and a potentially deadly crisis is beginning.
With dark clouds looming overhead, a tanker carrying chemicals swerves to avoid an accident at the intersection of SR 19 and US 224, springing a dangerous herbicide leak.
A drum of sulfuric acid also has been ruptured, and it now streams freely onto the pavement alongside the truck’s payload.
Compounding matters, two witnesses come to check on the truck’s unconscious driver and get splashed by chemicals, then hop in their vehicle and speed off to Mercy Hospital of Tiffin’s emergency room.
Later, a few more concerned citizens go to the driver’s aid and also become contaminated at the site.
The Advertiser-Tribune and other local media outlets didn’t immediately report the calamity. In fact, similar situations occur in Seneca County every year, and you probably never read or hear about them.
“It pretty much fell the way we had it planned,” Local Emergency Planning Committee Coordinator Dave Gross said. “I thought everything went really well.”
Fear not, for Gross isn’t an action-movie villain who orchestrates local calamities for his own nefarious delight.
In reality, it’s quite the opposite, as emergencies like Monday’s are initiated for the greater good: The LEPC sets up fake hazardous-materials drills to test their responses and cut their teeth just in case — knock on wood — the real thing ever happens.
Hopefully, you won’t ever hear about such a situation. After all, Gross says there haven’t been any major chemical spills locally.
But, if fate does cast a chemical shadow over your neighborhood in the future, having four children with mock burns sit idly in the rain while grown-ups play war games may not seem so crazy after all.
When chemicals attack
Gross says the basic purpose of the mandatory yearly scenarios is to test hazardous material responses, and Monday’s focused on the decontamination process and Bloomville and Republic’s forces.
The LEPC usually moves the drills around the county to give different departments the ability to participate, he says, and previous events have been held in locations from Attica to the cities of Tiffin and Fostoria, which are tested once about every four or five years.
Before this week, he says the last drill conducted was a tabletop scenario — a simulation where officials chat about the mock-disaster instead of physically acting it out — about a Bettsville train derailment and chemical spill last summer.
At the scene Monday, rain begins to fall on the young men playing victims as emergency forces dispatched from their various departments arrive and begin yelling at the “conscious” ones, asking what hurts, and receiving answers such as “neck” and “chest.”
Soon, a plethora of departments respond to the collaborative exercise, including Seneca County EMS and the Bloomville, Tiffin, Fostoria and Scipio-Republic fire squads. With diesel engines grumbling and radios chattering away, the disaster becomes very alive, and it grows even more so when responders donning the sterile haz-mat suits from “Outbreak” appear, complete with oxygen tanks and the associated Darth Vader breathing.
If it wasn’t for the scripts each victim keeps for responders, explaining things such as they’re “burned but can walk,” and the lack of an actual wrecked semi — instead, a much smaller tank simulates the nasty leak — someone stumbling upon the scene might assume the worst.
Also, Gross notes there’s a reason emergency vehicles aren’t using any of their trademark sirens right now.
“If you cause an accident when you’re doing a drill, it doesn’t look very good,” he says.
After using caution tape to quarantine different zones as “hot” (contaminated) and “cold” (the ideal place to be when a chemical spill happens — safely away from it), the teams begin to set up a “warm” location in between for decontamination. Once complete, it’s a gauntlet of gas-masked personnel and baby pools with a large, inflatable yellow tent at the end.
Forty-five minutes after the accident began, white-suited emergency personnel have been tending to all the children, and they now can escort the two with burned arms to the fully-erected decontamination zone. The worse-off victims such as the driver, however, later are carried to safety on stretchers.
Responders shower everyone emerging from the zone with hoses, and the victims are whisked through the tent — purchased by the county with Homeland Security funds and kept by the Fostoria Fire Department, Gross says — and eventually into ambulances.
Two Tiffin firefighters trained in the third tier of dealing with haz-mats then hit the scene in bulky red suits and cut the leaking truck’s valve, plug the drum spewing acid and enclose it in a larger container.
All the while, a handful of evaluators stand at attention, examining the incident as it plays out around them.
With nobody to guarantee you’ll never be sprayed in a baby pool by masked men and women who don’t want to touch whatever you just did, the question arises: How’d everyone do?
Report card
In Gross’ opinion, the verdict is pretty good: He says there was an excellent turnout and the responders meshed well together. Further, he says the evaluators felt the performance met or exceeded the expectations of the criteria, which took into account everything from whether appropriate agencies were alerted in a timely manner to whether a command post was established and clearly identified.
Gross agrees and commends drill participants, noting, however, that as a result of it, he has realized the decontamination process can be improved with a little more pre-planning.
“They did a very good job,” he says. “We learned some things that we need to be prepared for the next time. That’s the goal of a drill — to learn what you can do better.”
Discussing the issues, he says responders were surprised about how long it took to set up the decontamination lines, which also consumed more space than anticipated.
In the wake of the rainy exercise, he says officials also now know to have some warm clothing and blankets ready for the chilled people emerging from decontamination.
A debriefing followed the drill, Gross says, where officials and evaluators — including one stationed at Mercy Hospital to test the decontamination of the first victims who fled there — discussed their observations.
He notes the county won’t get credit for the “traffic and access control” section showing things such as road closures because it wasn’t easily observed, but adds the LEPC has two more drills to work on the hard-to-simulate category.
Seneca County Emergency Management Agency Director Dan Stahl ran dispatch for the simulation at the Emergency Operations Center that also broadcast weather situations and managed resources.
Alongside doling out some hands-on experience, he says the overall purpose of such events is to test the county’s emergency operations plan, and to pinpoint any weaknesses in it. Further, he says the drills are important to have, and he said he believes Monday’s will score well with Ohio EMA evaluators, who basically cross-reference the written plan with how well the county actually adheres to it.
“I thought everything went really well,” he says. “It was a terrific learning experience.”
Ohio EMA Public Affairs Branch Chief C.J. Couch says final reports typically are returned within 6-8 weeks, and adds counties are given the opportunity to correct mistakes if they received a low score for something.
Whether they’re spraying invisible chemicals off wide-eyed victims or standing by an ambulance, Couch says it’s important to realize all forces within the county are striving for the same common goal with the drills.
“They want to work on their system, (and) they’re concerned about their citizens,” he says. “They want to be ready for when the real situation occurs.”
So, knock on wood.
But, if it does happen, at least you know officials have cleaned those types of things up before. And, there also might be some warm security blankets for you now on the other side of that big, yellow tent away from the Darth Vader breathing.
Section: News Posted: 6/10/2007
Had this been an actual emergency ...
By Zachary Petit
It’s about 6 p.m. Monday, and a potentially deadly crisis is beginning.
With dark clouds looming overhead, a tanker carrying chemicals swerves to avoid an accident at the intersection of SR 19 and US 224, springing a dangerous herbicide leak.
A drum of sulfuric acid also has been ruptured, and it now streams freely onto the pavement alongside the truck’s payload.
Compounding matters, two witnesses come to check on the truck’s unconscious driver and get splashed by chemicals, then hop in their vehicle and speed off to Mercy Hospital of Tiffin’s emergency room.
Later, a few more concerned citizens go to the driver’s aid and also become contaminated at the site.
The Advertiser-Tribune and other local media outlets didn’t immediately report the calamity. In fact, similar situations occur in Seneca County every year, and you probably never read or hear about them.
“It pretty much fell the way we had it planned,” Local Emergency Planning Committee Coordinator Dave Gross said. “I thought everything went really well.”
Fear not, for Gross isn’t an action-movie villain who orchestrates local calamities for his own nefarious delight.
In reality, it’s quite the opposite, as emergencies like Monday’s are initiated for the greater good: The LEPC sets up fake hazardous-materials drills to test their responses and cut their teeth just in case — knock on wood — the real thing ever happens.
Hopefully, you won’t ever hear about such a situation. After all, Gross says there haven’t been any major chemical spills locally.
But, if fate does cast a chemical shadow over your neighborhood in the future, having four children with mock burns sit idly in the rain while grown-ups play war games may not seem so crazy after all.
When chemicals attack
Gross says the basic purpose of the mandatory yearly scenarios is to test hazardous material responses, and Monday’s focused on the decontamination process and Bloomville and Republic’s forces.
The LEPC usually moves the drills around the county to give different departments the ability to participate, he says, and previous events have been held in locations from Attica to the cities of Tiffin and Fostoria, which are tested once about every four or five years.
Before this week, he says the last drill conducted was a tabletop scenario — a simulation where officials chat about the mock-disaster instead of physically acting it out — about a Bettsville train derailment and chemical spill last summer.
At the scene Monday, rain begins to fall on the young men playing victims as emergency forces dispatched from their various departments arrive and begin yelling at the “conscious” ones, asking what hurts, and receiving answers such as “neck” and “chest.”
Soon, a plethora of departments respond to the collaborative exercise, including Seneca County EMS and the Bloomville, Tiffin, Fostoria and Scipio-Republic fire squads. With diesel engines grumbling and radios chattering away, the disaster becomes very alive, and it grows even more so when responders donning the sterile haz-mat suits from “Outbreak” appear, complete with oxygen tanks and the associated Darth Vader breathing.
If it wasn’t for the scripts each victim keeps for responders, explaining things such as they’re “burned but can walk,” and the lack of an actual wrecked semi — instead, a much smaller tank simulates the nasty leak — someone stumbling upon the scene might assume the worst.
Also, Gross notes there’s a reason emergency vehicles aren’t using any of their trademark sirens right now.
“If you cause an accident when you’re doing a drill, it doesn’t look very good,” he says.
After using caution tape to quarantine different zones as “hot” (contaminated) and “cold” (the ideal place to be when a chemical spill happens — safely away from it), the teams begin to set up a “warm” location in between for decontamination. Once complete, it’s a gauntlet of gas-masked personnel and baby pools with a large, inflatable yellow tent at the end.
Forty-five minutes after the accident began, white-suited emergency personnel have been tending to all the children, and they now can escort the two with burned arms to the fully-erected decontamination zone. The worse-off victims such as the driver, however, later are carried to safety on stretchers.
Responders shower everyone emerging from the zone with hoses, and the victims are whisked through the tent — purchased by the county with Homeland Security funds and kept by the Fostoria Fire Department, Gross says — and eventually into ambulances.
Two Tiffin firefighters trained in the third tier of dealing with haz-mats then hit the scene in bulky red suits and cut the leaking truck’s valve, plug the drum spewing acid and enclose it in a larger container.
All the while, a handful of evaluators stand at attention, examining the incident as it plays out around them.
With nobody to guarantee you’ll never be sprayed in a baby pool by masked men and women who don’t want to touch whatever you just did, the question arises: How’d everyone do?
Report card
In Gross’ opinion, the verdict is pretty good: He says there was an excellent turnout and the responders meshed well together. Further, he says the evaluators felt the performance met or exceeded the expectations of the criteria, which took into account everything from whether appropriate agencies were alerted in a timely manner to whether a command post was established and clearly identified.
Gross agrees and commends drill participants, noting, however, that as a result of it, he has realized the decontamination process can be improved with a little more pre-planning.
“They did a very good job,” he says. “We learned some things that we need to be prepared for the next time. That’s the goal of a drill — to learn what you can do better.”
Discussing the issues, he says responders were surprised about how long it took to set up the decontamination lines, which also consumed more space than anticipated.
In the wake of the rainy exercise, he says officials also now know to have some warm clothing and blankets ready for the chilled people emerging from decontamination.
A debriefing followed the drill, Gross says, where officials and evaluators — including one stationed at Mercy Hospital to test the decontamination of the first victims who fled there — discussed their observations.
He notes the county won’t get credit for the “traffic and access control” section showing things such as road closures because it wasn’t easily observed, but adds the LEPC has two more drills to work on the hard-to-simulate category.
Seneca County Emergency Management Agency Director Dan Stahl ran dispatch for the simulation at the Emergency Operations Center that also broadcast weather situations and managed resources.
Alongside doling out some hands-on experience, he says the overall purpose of such events is to test the county’s emergency operations plan, and to pinpoint any weaknesses in it. Further, he says the drills are important to have, and he said he believes Monday’s will score well with Ohio EMA evaluators, who basically cross-reference the written plan with how well the county actually adheres to it.
“I thought everything went really well,” he says. “It was a terrific learning experience.”
Ohio EMA Public Affairs Branch Chief C.J. Couch says final reports typically are returned within 6-8 weeks, and adds counties are given the opportunity to correct mistakes if they received a low score for something.
Whether they’re spraying invisible chemicals off wide-eyed victims or standing by an ambulance, Couch says it’s important to realize all forces within the county are striving for the same common goal with the drills.
“They want to work on their system, (and) they’re concerned about their citizens,” he says. “They want to be ready for when the real situation occurs.”
So, knock on wood.
But, if it does happen, at least you know officials have cleaned those types of things up before. And, there also might be some warm security blankets for you now on the other side of that big, yellow tent away from the Darth Vader breathing.
Section: News Posted: 6/10/2007
Thursday, June 7, 2007
The Army Reserve
The Army Reserve
Burning DVD filestructure with Nero: If you downloaded this DVD and extract all the .RAR files you will get a DVD file structure that looks like this:
AUDIO_TS (folder)
(empty)
VIDEO_TS (folder)
VIDEO_TS.BUP (Backup of xy.IFO)
VIDEO_TS.IFO (DVD Information File, like Chapter information, audio streams ...)
VIDEO_TS.VOB VTS_01_0.BUP VTS_01_0.IFO (Menu Information File, Navigation structure ...)
VTS_01_0.VOB (Menu Video files / Menu images)
VTS_01_1.VOB (Show Video file 1)
VTS_01_2.VOB (Show Video file 2) ...
To burn a DVD filestructure Nero is the easiest way to go. Start Nero Burning ROM and select DVD-Video from the dialog box. Press "new" and you should get 2 browser windows. On the left side you see the DVD directories AUDIO_TS and VIDEO_TS, on the right side you can browse your harddrive. To burn a disc just drag and drop all files from the downloaded directory to the VIDEO_TS directory in the DVD filestructure. After that just name the disc and follow the NERO burning dialog.
Burning DVD filestructure with Nero: If you downloaded this DVD and extract all the .RAR files you will get a DVD file structure that looks like this:
AUDIO_TS (folder)
(empty)
VIDEO_TS (folder)
VIDEO_TS.BUP (Backup of xy.IFO)
VIDEO_TS.IFO (DVD Information File, like Chapter information, audio streams ...)
VIDEO_TS.VOB VTS_01_0.BUP VTS_01_0.IFO (Menu Information File, Navigation structure ...)
VTS_01_0.VOB (Menu Video files / Menu images)
VTS_01_1.VOB (Show Video file 1)
VTS_01_2.VOB (Show Video file 2) ...
To burn a DVD filestructure Nero is the easiest way to go. Start Nero Burning ROM and select DVD-Video from the dialog box. Press "new" and you should get 2 browser windows. On the left side you see the DVD directories AUDIO_TS and VIDEO_TS, on the right side you can browse your harddrive. To burn a disc just drag and drop all files from the downloaded directory to the VIDEO_TS directory in the DVD filestructure. After that just name the disc and follow the NERO burning dialog.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
