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What do you do when you respond to a hazmat situation if you’re not a hazmat specialist?
Do you wait for the hazmat specialists to arrive? What if it sounds like a relatively minor situation, like someone who mixed two household cleaning products together and got an unfortunate result?
You’d probably go in to rescue the homeowner, right?
Of course, that means putting on all your PPE, including the SCBA and the hood.
Now, what if the location has a green cloud coming from the windows?
Well, that’s a little scarier, isn’t it? Maybe it’s time for the specialists to step in.
As you can see, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to these situations.
Here to clear up f the confusion is Phil Ambrose. He’s the founder of HazSim and retired from the Glendale, California Fire Department after 24 years of service.
Resources:
Phil’s article: How to save more lives in the hazmat hot zone
Article: Go/no-go: Offensive hazmat operations
Article: Cold storage warehouse fires: Unpacking the hidden hazards