Little General Store Propane Explosion - US Chemical Safety and ...
Little General Store Propane Explosion - US Chemical Safety and ...
Little General Store Propane Explosion - US Chemical Safety and ...
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
<strong>Little</strong> <strong>General</strong> <strong>Store</strong> September 2008<br />
propane release <strong>and</strong> treat it as a hazardous materials incident. It emphasizes the importance of evacuating<br />
the incident area <strong>and</strong> evaluating the hazards from a safe distance prior to taking other actions.<br />
Additionally, it addresses incident comm<strong>and</strong> structure implementation <strong>and</strong> the advisory role of propane<br />
service technicians. None of the Ghent Volunteer Firefighters had participated in this program.<br />
5.5 911 Emergency Call Center Response<br />
At many 911 call centers around the United States, operators use quick-reference guide cards to help them<br />
evaluate caller emergencies, gather pertinent incident details, <strong>and</strong> convey life-saving information to<br />
callers. Several organizations in the United States produce pre-written guide cards for 911 centers to<br />
purchase. 46 These guide cards provide easy-to-access information for operators, including questions<br />
relevant to the emergency <strong>and</strong> instructions to be given to the caller prior to emergency services’ arrival.<br />
Specific sets of guide cards exist for health <strong>and</strong> injury, fire service, <strong>and</strong> police response emergencies.<br />
Raleigh County 911 uses guide cards for health emergencies <strong>and</strong> injuries only.<br />
At 10:40 am on the day of the incident, the propane service technician called Raleigh County 911 to<br />
report the release <strong>and</strong> summon emergency services. The operator who received the call did not have a<br />
guide card or protocol to help evaluate the situation, collect pertinent information, <strong>and</strong> provide guidance<br />
to the caller.<br />
46 Guide cards are available as printed or electronic references <strong>and</strong> kept at each operator’s station.<br />
44