Discuss any changes you may have made in the response/management effort as a major player in the Unified Command.
After reviewing the actions taken at the EQ Fire by responding units and the Incident Management Team, discuss any changes you may have made in the response/management effort as a major player in the Unified Command. You can base your changes on resources that are available in your community or if you are unfamiliar with resources in your area simply base your thoughts on Apex resources. If after review, you feel no changes were warranted in the response/management of this incident justify your thoughts.
(This review should be APA format, a minimum of 3 pages, with sources cited)Share your thoughts with the class and review at least two other students posts.
Read the USFA Technical Report on the Apex Fire and the Case Study on the Environmental Quality Fire Final Report in the Course Library.
Then answer the Discussion Question and comment on at least one of your fellow students posts.
Objective:
This module will identify strategies at the Environmental Quality Fire and review management methods employed.
Event Summary
• Apex 911 receives reports of a vapor cloud. Local fire and law enforcement personnel responded to the reports and encountered a thick, white, chlorine smelling cloud.
• Apex requests the Regional Response Team (RRT) HAZMAT based at the Raleigh Fire Department.
• Upon arrival, the RRT personnel reported that a fire was burning at the Environmental Quality (EQ) Industrial Services facility — one of 11 commercial hazardous waste transfer, storage and disposal (TSD) facilities regulated by the NCDENR Division of Waste Management.
• Apex Fire Department established incident command and requested assistance from other local communities, Wake County and the State.
• The NCDENR Division of Air Quality Mobile Air Monitoring Laboratory (MAML) was dispatched together with personnel from the Divisions of Waste Management and Water Quality. Other State responding agencies included the State Highway Patrol, State Emergency Management, a State Medical Assistance Team (SMAT), personnel from the DHHS Division of Public Health and a second RRT (HAZMAT) from Fayetteville.
• An evacuation was ordered by the Town of Apex for all persons with an area bordered by State Highway 55 on the west, U.S. Highway 1 on the south and U.S. Highway 64 on the north. The Incident Command Post was moved three times to avoid being located downwind of the facility.
• Near sunrise on October 6, 2006, DAQ personnel with the MAML were tasked by the Incident Commander to begin continuous air sampling. Water samples were taken outside the evacuation zone to monitor for any impact on the environment. No offsite contamination was seen in any of the air or water monitoring.
• Once the evacuation order was lifted, NCDENR in coordination with DHHS undertook an environmental sampling effort to further test for any offsite environmental impact. Indoor and outdoor swipe samples, as well as soil samples were taken at 37 locations around the facility. Samples were tested for metals, cyanide compounds and organic residue. The results of this joint sampling effort are posted on the NCDENR web page along with all situational reports for the incident.
Answer preview to discuss any changes you may have made in the response/management effort as a major player in the Unified Command.
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