2022 Safety Handbook
SECTION 6: CHEMICALS
6.1 Hazardous Materials Primary transportation systems, i.e., highways, rail lines, can be found in every county of the State. These transportation systems are used extensively to haul materials that are considered hazardous. These hazardous materials are of many types and quantities, i.e., propane, gasoline, explosives, corrosives, etc. Portions of these transportation systems are located in wildland areas of the State. Accidents which sometimes involve vehicles carrying hazardous materials have and will continue to occur. Some of these types of accidents have resulted in the start of wildfires. District Fire Wardens are dispatched to vehicle accidents occurring in wildland areas due to vague accident report information or to standby in case the fire spreads to the wildlands. The purpose of the hazardous materials section in the Division’s Fire Management Manual is to provide general information concerning hazardous materials and to provide recommendations in the event that officials and volunteer fire department members in your district have not received any training involving hazardous materials. Your actions could help avoid the creation of an extremely dangerous situation. It is recommended that you contact the fire and law enforcement personnel in your district to inquire whether they have received any training regarding hazardous materials. The State Fire Marshal also has a 24-hr Utah Hazmat Help Line, 801-256-2499 if you need assistance.
6.1.1 What is a Hazardous Material? Any element, compound or combination thereof, which is flammable, corrosive, detonable, toxic, radioactive, an oxidizer, or etiologic agent, or highly reactive, and which because of handling, storage, processing, or packaging, may have detrimental effects upon operation and emergency personnel, the public equipment and/or the environment.
6.1.2 What is the purpose of the Emergency Response Effort? To favorably change or influence the sequence of events which comprise the emergency before it has run its course naturally AND to minimize the harm that would otherwise occur. Many of the disasters which have occurred involving hazardous materials involving loss of life were primarily due to unfavorable action taken by the emergency response personnel such as: 1. Lack of scene identification
66 – Section 6: Chemicals
