1 Emergency Planning Simulation 2

2 You are the county Emergency Response Coordinator in a rural North Dakota County Your job is to coordinate the activities of the Emergency Response Groups (ERG) in your county and provide mutual aid to the State as necessary. The ERG groups you work with include: –Fire Department –Police (state, county, and local) –County Hazardous Material Team –Etc. You are also the liaison between other state agencies and private companies e.g, –State EPA –OSHA –Public Health Department –Healthcare facilities –Etc.

3 At approximately 1:40 AM you get a telephone call from a police dispatch stating that a patrol car reported a train derailment The derailment occurred approximately ½ mile from the town of Minot, North Dakota The was an explosion reported No further data is available at this time. You ask for directions to Minot

4 Minot, ND

5 Minot Train Derailment

6 As you approach Minot you notice that the town is unusually dark. A squad car with light flashing blocks the road. The police officer states that the derailment did occur and it was “a bad one”. The police officer adds that there is a cloud over the derailment area and it smells like ammonia.

7 Select the initial actions Go see the cloud and determine the source Secure area using police Set up a command center upwind Set up a command center downwind Search for survivors Sound the public warning system system sirens

8 From the command center you are able to get the first view of the derailment.

9 At first glance you see: –At least 20 railcars that have derailed –A vapor cloud growing over the site and spreading

10 The police have assigned a liaison officer (PLO) to you. She provides the following information. –Two locomotives and approximately 20 cars are about a half mile down the track apparently decoupling during the derailment. –A patrol car is approaching the locomotives location, they are searching for the engineer –Volunteer fire department is starting to arrive –Electrical power is out on SW side of town –Environmental conditions Atmospheric low pressure Temperature –6 o F Wind direction is variable from the southwest and 6 mph

11 Select the actions Go see the cloud and determine the source Confirm that all access points have been secured Search the site for survivors Sound the public warning system system sirens Obtain a map of Minot from PLO Have engineer and the shipping papers brought to command center Call the Hazardous Materials (Haz-Mat)Team out Monitor wind direction

12 The vapor cloud is spreading There is a stronger odor of ammonia both upwind and downwind Vapor cloud appears to be approaching airport, however, there is a community approximately ¼ mile away

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14 You realize that additional staffing is necessary and place a call for mutual aid. Estimated time of arrival 20 minutes There are too many details to focus on. Therefore you set up an incident command team using the: –Fire Department –Haz-Mat team –Emergency medial technicians –Police –Emergency response coordinator

15 Match the responsibilities with the appropriate group Fire Department Haz-Mat team Emergency medial technicians Police Emergency response coordinator Site security Site reconnaissance Logistic Support Medical Release response Communications Information dissemination Site safety Fire control

16 Select, plan and choose actions –Site Safety Officer –Site Logistics Supervisor –Site Reconnaissance: Response Supervisor

17 Site Safety officer: Select the actions Monitor the air for ammonia and set up a monitoring protocol Obtain a MSDS Convene Recon Team (hyperlink to following questions) –Discuss hazards of ammonia and symptomolgy of exposure –When breakfast will be served –Establish retreat ammonia concentrations –Decontamination procedures –Cautions about other potential hazmat issues –Proper PPE –Fire procedures –Containment procedures –Rescue procedures Monitor the wind direction Communicate with press and residents

18 Site Logistics: Select the actions Provide and assist with PPE Provide decon supplies Provide release containment equipment Assist in recon procedures Provide responder support supplies (hyperlink to following questions) –Fluid replacement options –Coffee –Blankets –Line for Sundays football games –Cold weather gear –Food –Shelter Obtain temporary power and lighting Obtain port a potties Stay in the command center contact contractors

19 Site Reconnaissance: Select the actions Contact engineer for shipping papers Dispatch two recon teams (2 people each) to approach the site up from command center and 1.5 miles downwind to monitor air Use infrared scanners to search for survivors If survivors are unconscious administer CPR Rescue any survivor and bring them to the command center Recon members will use full body protection and SCBA Recon members will use fire departments turn out gear Stay in the command center and use binoculars

20 Recon Report 1 Engineer is having trouble breathing but he is able to provide the shipping papers The train contained: –Gross weight was 12,342 tons –Length was 7138 feet long –86 loaded cars –39 cars of hazardous materials 15 with anhydrous ammonia 10 with liquid petroleum gas 11 with styrene monomer Hazardous waste residues –26 empty cars

21 Security Report 1 All main roads are blocked off, including roads into the closest community. Very little traffic, however, traffic has to be stopped because there is no convenient by-pass. Power remains out. No media types in the area. Calls to 911 allege: –Tank car landed in homeowners yard – Tank car landed and hit residents house, house on fire

22 Recon Report 2 Ammonia concentrations –Command Center < 1 ppm –¼ mile upwind 2.5 ppm –1/10 mile upwind 10 ppm –1.5 miles downwind 2 ppm –1.0 miles downwind 5 ppm –0.5 miles downwind 25 ppm No one remains on the derail site 3 Tank cars demolished One tank car appears to be leaking liquid

23 Site Safety Officer: Report 1 Provides MSDS for anhydrous ammonia (permanent link) Provides DOT Response Guidelines ( permanent link) Provides map of Minot ( permanent link) Recommends continued use of SCBA for Recon until maximums have been determined Establishes “safe exposures” for responders at 10 ppm Establishes “safe exposures” for general population: 3 ppm Provides copies of placards for hazardous material for Recon Comparisons

24 Wind Direction Train Derailment Town of Minot, ND Fire Station 1 School

25 Downtown Minot

26 The vapor cloud continues spreading Patrol car at residential community reports strong odor of ammonia vapor cloud is closer to the residential community approximately ¼ mile away Recon Report 3 Residential Subdivision River vapor River Residential Subdivision

27 Incident Commander: Select the actions Sent Fire Department to residence Continue Recon to the leaking tankers Continue monitoring at perimeter of cloud (3 ppm) Sent Fire Department to residence with Recon assistance to monitor ammonia concentrations Have Recon attempt to identify leaking liquid Sound the public warning system system sirens Have police identify possible evacuation routes Notify railroad to re-route traffic Have communications (hyperlink to following questions) –Contact FEMA –Contact EPA –Contact the Coast Guard –Contact mutual aid for progress Have Safety Officer (hyperlink to following questions) –Contact the local hospital and inform them of ammonia release –Forward MSDS to hospital –Work with medical for first aid protocols

28 Site Safety Officer: Report 2 5 tank cars ruptured 29,350 gallons per car average Approximately 146,700 gallons initially Approximately 74,000 gallons additional Liquefied compressed gas

29 Recon Report 3 Ammonia concentrations >500 ppm at railcars Identification of some of the cars Car No.Content 1 - 5Urea Empty 11“Polelastblacks” 12“Southwrblacks” Urea 18 to 32Anhydrous Ammonia Lumber Empty 42Lumber 43Polyethylene Liquefied Petroleum Gas Glycol 72Lumber Styrene Monomer Empty Styrene Monomer Empty 98Liquefied Petroleum Gas Chemical Residues Wood Pulp Liquefied Petroleum Gas Empty

30 Recon Report 4 Emergency Responders can not access neighborhood unless they go through vapor cloud in excess of 50 ppm All access roads pass through the vapor cloud vapor Residential Subdivision River

31 Site Safety Officer: Report 3 Available References MSDS –Ammonia –Ures –Liquified Petroleum Gas –Styrene Monomer EPA Ammonia distance to end point

32 Site Safety Officer: Report 4 Tierracita Vallejo homeowner reports that a neighbor and wife got into a car and tried to drive away. –Driver lost control of his car and hit homeowners house –Driver and wife got out –Wife entered homeowners house –Husband while inspecting car collapsed on lawn

33 Pictures to use

34 Ammonia Release Residential Subdivision River

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