Like it was years ago

I feel like I did years ago. I would be running and running, never enough time to do any one of them for any length of time. Always seeming to run out of time.

So after four hours of sleep I got up for my last day of HazMat tech class. We started with reviewing for the written test, then taking the test. Following the test we went to the training tower to set up for the final scenario.

The situation was a truck off the road way with several fifty-five gallon drums with unknown contents as well as a compressed gas of some sort that was leaking out.

Truck in HazMat Situation

in the situation we set up a command structure and many people had many roles. In HazMat situations there is no such thing as hurry. Things go slow and deliberate. My role was as the computer operator. I ran a computer hooked to a piece of equipment where we can put a small sample of an unknown liquid or solid and it will analyze the substance and return results about the item we are testing. It will give the probability of it being a certain substance. It is very accurate.

I also ran another computer where I looked up the information about the substances once I found out what they were. I could find out all the chemical properties of the substance. I could look up what kind of protection the people going to the scene would need to wear. I could find out the potential of it being a fire danger or other dangers to the public. Then I could use another application in conjunction to map out where the probable areas of contamination based on the weather patterns that are captured by a weather station that we set up. It is all very neat stuff. When it was all done we had mitigated the problem.

Following the scenario we broke down the decontaminating areas and the command post. Then we had final words from the instructor and some of the other HazMat team leaders. Over all it was a very good exercise.

Moby the HazMat Vehicle

I headed to my office and I got all my pictures downloaded from yesterday’s HazMat class, plus from dodgeball, and the coroners case I worked. I uploaded the pictures from the HazMat class and posted them on line for the instructor to download.

Then I went to the fire station and we did vehicle checks followed by our OTEP training in respiratory emergencies. We got checked off on using a bag valve mask, oral and nasal airways, and the combi-tube. It is something we do every year to make sure people stay proficient in their skills. I got back to the office at about eleven o’clock pm. It has been a long day. I am on call today as well, so I hope I can sleep through the night without a call because I am so tired. But if we get a call during the night I just hope I am not too tired to wake up from it.