annual report
| 19
Moving Forward (cont.)
Hazardous Materials Division
Emergency Response
County Fire Answers the Call
for Assistance
From responding to chemical emergencies, providing ongoing training,
and participating with public outreach opportunities, the Office of
the Fire Marshal (OFM) Emergency Responders continue to protect
human, health and the environment. Transportation related releases
continued to require OFM Emergency Responders to leap into action.
As an example, in December, a truck hauling hydrochloric acid developed a leak that found its way to a nearby storm drain. Approximately
600 gallons leaked from the truck, thus evacuating an estimated 200
people from a truck stop and surrounding area. Then in February, a
semi-truck transporting 48,000 pounds of liquefied natural gas rolled
over on the I-40. The roll over severely damaged the tank resulting in
an uncontrolled release of highly flammable, non-odorized methane
gas, causing intermittent closures of the I-40 in both directions for over
24 hours. The tanker was eventually up righted and tanker contents
safely evacuated in a monitored and controlled process.
San Bernardino County Firefighters responded to multiple wildland
fires from Northern California south to the San Diego County complex
fires, to the Etiwanda Fire in our back yard of Rancho Cucamonga,
answering calls for assistance with structure defense, and to battle
these raging wildland fires.
But transportation related incidents weren’t the only emergencies the
OFM Emergency Responders responded to. Drug labs are making a
come-back. Recently, OFM Emergency Responders were requested to a
clandestine methamphetamine lab in Hinkley. Once on scene, testing
revealed that the property in question was heavily contaminated as a
result of the illicit operations and the property was posted as unsafe to
occupy. OFM Emergency Responders worked with the property owners
on a site remediation plan for the building.
Additionally, OFM Emergency Responders responded to a report of
flammable gas contained in a manhole in Redlands. Upon arrival,
monitoring efforts discovered flammable gas in ranges that could be
harmful to human health and the environment. Local agencies evacuated a medical building and elementary school as a precaution, until
further air modeling could be conducted. Residents in the area were
asked to “shelter in place” until the emergency was over.
San Bernardino County Fire is committed to the master mutual aid
program in the State of California. As such, County Fire has deployed
several strike teams this past year. A Strike Team consists of a strike
team leader and 5 engines (staffed with 20 firefighters). On wildland
fire assignments, these teams often work in steep rugged terrain
cutting line and constructing firelines and fuelbreaks to suppress the
fire, or they may provide structure defense to homes and businesses,
and other valuable resources. A strike team assignment can last as
many as 14 days if not longer. It is not uncommon for firefighters to
spend numerous days away from home either on the fire assignment
itself or backfilling a station left empty due to the strike team leaving.