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- 12/3/13 News and Notes from Rockingham County
12/3/13 News and Notes from Rockingham County
News and Notes from Rockingham County
By: Firefighter/EMT Taylor Roby
Regional Haz-Mat Response in Shenadoah County
On 11/18/13 at 10:48pm The Central Shenandoah Valley Regional Hazardous Materials team was dispatched for a level three response to assist Shenandoah County Fire and Rescue at exit 291 on Interstate 81 in Shenandoah County. The incident was reported with a box trailer leaking an acid of unknown quantity. Shenandoah County assessed the situation along with the Toms brook Volunteer Fire Department and determined additional resources were needed. Virginia Department of Emergency Management Hazardous Materials officer Woody Brown arrived on the scene prior to the arrival of the level three team, he worked along with Chief Gary Yew from Shenandoah County to assess the situation. It was determined by the shipping papers that there were 14 totes of Zirconium acetate in the trailer. Upon arrival of the Hazmat Team there were three teams, an entry team, backup team, and rapid intervention team established. A stage two decon area was set up with Firefighter Doug Gooden as Decon officer. Toms Brook Fire Department assisted with decontamination of haz-mat team personnel. Captain Chris Ritenour, Group Alpha supervisor, assessed the trailer and found one 275 gallon tote had shifted and had a small tear in the container with a small leak. Alpha Group stopped the leak and applied soda ash to neutralize the acid that had leaked inside the trailer. The group had to maneuver over several totes to access the leaking container. Group Bravo lead by Lt. Joe Weaver assessed the front of the trailer and found material had escaped the trailer and was moving toward the interstate down the exit ramp. The group applied stay dry and acid pads to contain the run off of the product. Team Charlie lead by Lt. Jeremy Holland was utilized to finalize applying soda ash to neutralize the product inside the trailer. Once the area was considered safe the site was turned over to clean up contractor for clean up and Virginia State Police for investigation. The team responded two of the three hazardous materials units as well as the HFD mobile Command unit.
The Central Shenandoah Valley Regional Hazardous Materials Team is made up from The City of Harrisonburg, Rockingham County, Augusta County, City Of Waynesboro, and the City of Staunton.
The team established the following Incident Command System
By: Firefighter/EMT Taylor Roby
Regional Haz-Mat Response in Shenadoah County
By Chief Jeremy Holloway
On 11/18/13 at 10:48pm The Central Shenandoah Valley Regional Hazardous Materials team was dispatched for a level three response to assist Shenandoah County Fire and Rescue at exit 291 on Interstate 81 in Shenandoah County. The incident was reported with a box trailer leaking an acid of unknown quantity. Shenandoah County assessed the situation along with the Toms brook Volunteer Fire Department and determined additional resources were needed. Virginia Department of Emergency Management Hazardous Materials officer Woody Brown arrived on the scene prior to the arrival of the level three team, he worked along with Chief Gary Yew from Shenandoah County to assess the situation. It was determined by the shipping papers that there were 14 totes of Zirconium acetate in the trailer. Upon arrival of the Hazmat Team there were three teams, an entry team, backup team, and rapid intervention team established. A stage two decon area was set up with Firefighter Doug Gooden as Decon officer. Toms Brook Fire Department assisted with decontamination of haz-mat team personnel. Captain Chris Ritenour, Group Alpha supervisor, assessed the trailer and found one 275 gallon tote had shifted and had a small tear in the container with a small leak. Alpha Group stopped the leak and applied soda ash to neutralize the acid that had leaked inside the trailer. The group had to maneuver over several totes to access the leaking container. Group Bravo lead by Lt. Joe Weaver assessed the front of the trailer and found material had escaped the trailer and was moving toward the interstate down the exit ramp. The group applied stay dry and acid pads to contain the run off of the product. Team Charlie lead by Lt. Jeremy Holland was utilized to finalize applying soda ash to neutralize the product inside the trailer. Once the area was considered safe the site was turned over to clean up contractor for clean up and Virginia State Police for investigation. The team responded two of the three hazardous materials units as well as the HFD mobile Command unit.
The Central Shenandoah Valley Regional Hazardous Materials Team is made up from The City of Harrisonburg, Rockingham County, Augusta County, City Of Waynesboro, and the City of Staunton.
The team established the following Incident Command System
- IC Chief Gary Yew/ Chief Jeremy Holloway
- Liason/Documentation officer Deputy Chief Mike Brady
- Operations Officer Battalion Captain Joe Morris
- Decon officer Doug Gooden
- EMS Supervisor Paul Helmuth
- Logistics Section Morgan McComas
- Intelligence Section Dr. Ron Rabb and Dr. Scott Lewis (Team Chemist from James Madison University)