 |
 |
Public | Business | EM Community | Organization | News Media | Kids |
 |
Prepare and Stay Aware! |
 |
|
Florida HAZMatters
Volume 19 Number 7
DISTRICT 1
West Florida Regional Planning Council
Bay, Escambia, Holmes, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa , Walton and Washington Counties
The District 1 Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) held its quarterly meeting July 19, 2006 in Panama City . Representatives from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection gave a presentation on their Emergency Response Team, which includes members from seven state agencies. The specialized team includes forensics, environmental specialists, police, and others for criminal investigations and sampling in hazardous materials incidents.
Biennial elections were held and Chairman Richard Delp was re-elected for another two-year term with Mr. Roger Hagan elected as Vice-Chair. Other issues discussed included releases such as a magnesium fire, and two hydrogen sulfide releases in the Region.
The following resignations were accepted, with regrets and appreciation for their service:
Mr. Robert Majka, Mr. Otis Gatewood and Mrs. Lorne Brooks an alternate for Steve Brumm.
The following new member applications were accepted by the LEPC and will be recommended to State Emergency Response Commission for final approval:
Mr. Sid Busick, Bay County Emergency Management, Mr. Raymond Jackson as an alternate for Steve Brumm, Lt. Edward Eubanks, Walton County Fire Rescue.
During the quarter, six workshops were held throughout the district. The purpose of the workshops was to provide businesses and the public with information on how to comply with the Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act. These workshops provided participants with an understanding of the need for hazardous materials reporting and its uses in planning and emergency response. Participants also took advantage of the opportunity to determine if they were subject to the reporting requirements and learned how to complete required paperwork..
The next LEPC meeting will be held October 18, 2006 in Walton County at 10:00 am. (CST)
For more information, please contact Deborah Thayer at (850) -595-8910 ext 217.
DISTRICT 2
Apalachee Regional Planning Council
Calhoun, Franklin , Gadsden , Gulf, Jackson , Jefferson , Leon , Liberty and Wakulla Counties
The District 2 Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) held its quarterly meeting
August 2, 2006 at the Tallahassee Fire Department Training Division classroom.
A 40-hour Clandestine Laboratory course was held July 10-14, 2006 at the Pat Thomas Law Enforcement Academy and twenty-five law enforcement personnel attended. In addition, the Florida Division of Emergency Management (DEM) provided supplemental Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness grant funding for the LEPC to coordinate four Hazardous Materials Awareness level courses. The courses will be held September 23-28, 2006 for the Leon County Emergency Medical Services (EMS). All training courses are posted on the Apalachee Regional Planning Council's website: www.thearpc.com .
The LEPC received final approval from DEM for the 2005-2006 hazards analyses for Calhoun, Franklin , Gadsden , Gulf, Jefferson, Liberty and Wakulla counties. Also, LEPC staff will conduct the 2006-2007 hazards analyses for Leon County .
Staff is continuing to work towards completion of the facility hazards analysis summary project for the HMEP planning program. On behalf of the LEPC, staff will develop a facility hazards analysis summary to be used by first responders and dispatchers. The summary will consist of all Section 302 facilities within the LEPC's nine-county district and will include important information (e.g. – facility name, address, extremely hazardous substance inventory, potential health hazards, total exposed population).
Staff also completed and submitted the LEPC Biennial Exercise After-Action Report to FDEM.
The next meeting of the District 2 LEPC will be held at 10:00 am ET, October 18, 2006, at the Tallahassee Fire Department Training Division classroom.
DISTRICT 3
North Central Florida Regional Planning Council
Alachua, Bradford, Columbia , Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton , Lafayette , Madison , Suwannee, Taylor and Union Counties
The District 3 Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) last met August 18, 2006 at the Alachua Regional Service Center . Items discussed included upcoming seminars being conducted by the LEPC, hazardous materials (hazmat) training classes, election of officers and assisting with a virtual terrorism response academy being developed at Dartmouth University .
The LEPC has scheduled three seminars to be presented in early September as part of its Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness (HMEP) planning project for the year. The first seminar is A What Facilities with Chemicals Need to Know about the LEPC. @ This PowerPoint presentation explains how facilities can become involved in the different LEPC programs to help increase the safety of our communities from chemical releases. A A How-to-Comply with EPCRA Reporting @ presentation is being given in conjunction with a small quantity generator of hazardous waste compliance seminar. The third seminar is an orientation for emergency responders on the North Central Florida Regional Hazardous Materials Response Team. This seminar is being held during the last hour of technician refresher training being conducted at the Hazmat Boot Camp.
Ms. Edye Rowell (Buckeye Florida ) was re-elected as LEPC Chair and Charles Pults (PCS Phosphate) was re-elected as Vice-Chair of Public Information. Dr. David Meurer was elected as the new Vice-Chair of First Responders. Mr. Meurer is an emergency room physician at Shands Hospital at the University of Florida and has been active in hazmat planning and response for many years.
The LEPC applied for and has been accepted as a hazmat training provider by the Florida State Fire College (FSFC). The LEPC sent students to attend the Monitoring training offered by the District 6 LEPC and HazMedic training offered by District 5 LEPC. Students were also sent to the 160-hour Technician classes at the FSFC and to Ammonia and Chlorine response training conducted by Safety Systems, Inc.
Staff activities included teaching three days of A CAMEOfm and ALOHA for Responders, @ which now includes fires, flares, exploding vapor clouds and BLEVEs. The LEPC provided a number of hazmat exercise photographs to Dartmouth University to be used as part of a virtual terrorism response academy. The LEPC and Alachua County Fire Rescue Hazmat Team conducted a press conference on its expanded HazMedic capabilities. Staff assisted with a Department of Health Strike Team exercise by developing and after action report compliant with Homeland Security Exercise Evaluation Program. A review of the exercise is in the July/August issue of A The Health Adviser @ published by the Florida Department of Health.
The next LEPC meeting is scheduled for 10:30 a.m., November 17, 2006, at the Columbia County Emergency Operations Center in Lake City .
DISTRICT 4
Northeast Florida Regional Planning Council
Baker, Clay, Duval, Flagler, Nassau , Putnam and St. Johns Counties
The District 4 Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) meeting was held August 16, 2006 at the Northeast Florida Regional Council in Jacksonville , Florida .
The LEPC utilized Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness (HMEP) grant funding to sponsor a Clandestine Laboratory training July 10-14, 2006, along with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, to provide health and safety training to law enforcement and forensic personnel engaged in the investigations, mitigation and enforcement of clandestine laboratories.
The LEPC is sponsoring a Special Hazmat Leak, Spill and Fire Control Class scheduled for September 12-14, 2006 to train Duval County Fire Rescue for full spectrum response, industrial in-plant emergency response and confined-space rescue. A 40-hour Emergency Medical Response to Hazardous Material Incidents Class is scheduled to take place September 25-29, 2006 to provide medical personnel with basic information needed to recognize, evaluate and treat patients involved in the release of hazardous materials.
Finally, the LEPC completed the 2005/2006 HMEP grant planning project “Local Emergency Planning Committee Exercise.”
The next meeting is scheduled for November 15, 2006 also to be held at the Northeast Florida Regional Council.
DISTRICT 5
Withlacoochee Regional Planning Council
Citrus, Hernando, Levy, Marion and Sumter Counties
The District 5 Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) meeting was held July 19, 2006. Nominations were presented for the position of LEPC Chair and Vice-Chair and ballots were sent to LEPC members after the meeting. Election results will be formally announced at the October 19, 2006 LEPC meeting.
The LEPC and Marion County Fire Rescue co-sponsored a Clandestine Drug Laboratory class June 5-7, 2006. Twenty-eight members of the local emergency management community attended the first day of the 3-day course for awareness training. Nineteen members participated in hands-on training for days two and three.
A CAMEOfm course was held July 11-13, 2006. Thirteen individuals from the local planning and emergency management community attended the course.
Additionally, staff coordinated a 40-hour HazMedic course, which was attended by 34 members of the District 5 and District 3 Local Emergency Planning Committees.
The Withlacoochee Regional Planning Council has contracted with the Florida Division of Emergency Management for the completion of the 2006-2007 Hazard Analyses for Levy and Sumter counties. The first deliverable was completed on August 15, 2006 as required by the contract.
The next LEPC meeting is scheduled to take place October 19, 2006.
DISTRICT 6
East Central Florida Regional Planning Council
Brevard, Lake, Orange , Osceola, Seminole and Volusia Counties
The District 6 Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) met July 21, 2006 and elected its officers. Ms. Jennifer Hobbs was re-elected Chair, Mr. Richard Moore was elected Vice-Chair and Mr. Jerry Smith was elected Training Task Force member and the Training Sub-committee.
District 6 is sponsoring a CAMEOfm class September 6, 7, and 8 at the Osceola County Emergency Operations Center in Kissimmee .
There will be a 24-hour education program on decontamination of a chemically contaminated patient in a hospital setting presented to District 6 health care providers. The course is intended to provide assistance to hospital emergency departments in developing a plan for incidents that involve hazardous materials and improve their ability to safely respond to these incidents. This class will be conducted September 18-20, 2006.
The LEPC will sponsor a 40-Hour Emergency Medical Response to Hazardous Material Incidents. This course provides those medical personnel first-on-the-scene with basic information needed to recognize, evaluate and treat patients involved in the release of hazardous materials. The course is intended for Technicians of a hazardous materials response team or for others who may be called upon to respond to a chemical medical emergency.
The LEPC began preparing for this year's biennial exercise by deciding on conducting a tabletop presentation during Hazardous Materials Awareness Week.
DISTRICT 7
Central Florida Regional Planning Council
DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Okeechobee and Polk Counties
The District 7 Local Emergency Planning Committee held its meeting July 12, 2006 in Wauchula. The highlight of the meeting was a final briefing on the LEPC exercise held in March. This included the formal approval of the Improvement Matrix Plan as required by the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program.
On June 1, LEPC Staff assisted the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council in the evaluation of their Regional Domestic Security Task Force (RDSTF) Table-Top Exercise. This exercise was the first in a series that will lead to a full-scale exercise designed to simulate the events surrounding the upcoming Super Bowl. While this exercise was not specifically directed towards a hazmat scenario, it did include hazardous materials events and would have required the deployment of the Polk County hazmat team to support events portrayed during the exercise.
Small Quantity Generator (SQG) inspections were conducted in Hardee and Okeechobee Counties and the Central Florida Regional Planning Council will manage the SQG program for DeSoto County in the future.
The LEPC Emergency Response Plan update was submitted to the Division of Emergency Management as well as the Hazards Analysis Update contracts.
LEPC Staff also assisted in the coordination and the evaluation of the Polk County Avian Flu Table-top Exercise on August 15, 2006. The interaction between the public and private sectors created ideas and solutions for the prevention, treatment and management of a potential pandemic.
The next LEPC meeting is scheduled for September 13, 2006 in Sebring at the Agri-Civic Center . The focus of that meeting will be to conduct the annual elections required for the LEPC leadership.
The LEPC is also scheduled to meet on November 8, 2006 and will assist in the coordination and evaluation of the Polk County Avian Flu Full-Scale Exercise scheduled for
November 9, 2006.
DISTRICT 8
Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council
Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco and Pinellas Counties
The District 8 Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) met July 26, 2006.
Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness (HMEP) grant training this quarter consisted of (1) two 4-hour courses on the Recognition of and Response to Biological and Chemical Agents & Bloodborne Pathogens, Emerging Infections and Pandemic Flu; (2) three one-day courses on basic CAMEO for Pasco County August 22-24, 2006; (3) a series of three one-day courses on Toxicology for the Pinellas County Hazmat Team August 22-24, 2006; (4) and a 3-day Hospital Awareness/Operations Course for South Florida Baptist Hospital August 29-31, 2006.
A 3-day Awareness/Operations Course is planned for Blake Memorial Hospital September 18-20, 2006 and a series of three one-day courses on Hazardous Materials Foam for the Manatee County Hazardous Materials Team is scheduled for September 26-28, 2006.
The LEPC is wrapping up the HMEP Planning Project with the second Facility Disaster Planning Workshop, September 12, 2006 and due to the overwhelming response has scheduled a third workshop for October 31, 2006. As reported last quarter, the Port of Tampa Siren Warning Briefings and planning efforts to upgrade the briefing and the Shelter-in-Place DVD into Spanish are continuing.
Staff represented the LEPC at the Tampa Bay Spill Committee meeting August 8, 2006 and the U.S. Coast Guard Area Committee meeting August 8, 2006 which met to discuss revision of the Area Contingency Plan. Staff also participated in two Risk Management Planning audits.
Finally, staff participated in the Simulation Cell (SimCell) for the U.S. Coast Guard security exercise “Bay Sentinel 06” August 1, 2006 at the Marine Safety Office, Tampa .
The next LEPC meeting is scheduled for September 27, 2006.
DISTRICT 9
Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council
Charlotte , Collier, Glades, Hendry, Lee and Sarasota Counties
The District 9 Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) met August 24, 2006, at the offices of the Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council. Special guests were Mr. Todd Jameson of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and Mr. Sean Crane of ViaRadio Corporation. Mr. Jameson gave a presentation regarding the Africanized Honey Bees and possible implications for responders and others of the region. Mr. Crane provided a demonstration and information about early warning systems which could be utilized by emergency management operations, private and public entities, and in domestic operations. Recently, Mr. John Campbell resigned from the LEPC. Mr. Campbell served on the Committee since 2001 and was recognized for his outstanding service to the LEPC.
In other matters, Mr. Bernie Tibble of Florida Power and Light was nominated to receive the Thomas Yatabe Award for superior service and outstanding support to the LEPC. Also, Mr. Bruce Porter was re-elected as Chair of the LEPC
Under the Committee's training initiatives, a 48-hour Chemistry course was conducted July 17-22, 2006, at the Iona McGregor Fire Department in Fort Myers . Upcoming courses scheduled in the District include an 8-hour Clandestine Drug Laboratory Awareness Course, September 15, 2006, at International College in Fort Myers and a Hazardous Materials Air Sampling Course, September 26-27, 2006, at the Southwest Florida Regional Medical Center
Finally, the Committee addressed its Hazardous Materials Tuition Reimbursement Program but did not finalize the document which would support the Committee's training initiative. The purpose of the Tuition Reimbursement Program is to allot a percentage of LEPC training funds to compensate individuals for tuition costs associated with entering the field of Hazardous Materials Emergency Response. Following approval of the program, an application will be posted on the LEPC's website.
The next quarterly meeting of the LEPC is scheduled for December 1, 2006.
DISTRICT 10
Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council
Indian River, Martin, Palm Beach and St. Lucie Counties
The District 10 Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) meeting was held August 3, 2006 at the Indian River Community College Chastain Campus in Stuart.
The LEPC processed the 2006/2007 Hazardous Analysis Update contract for St. Lucie and Martin counties. Facility site visits will be initiated in St. Lucie County in October. Martin County site visits are being scheduled for December.
Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness (HMEP) grant funds were utilized to provide 22 participants with CAMEOfm training June 21-23, 2006. The LEPC sponsored a Clandestine Laboratory class July 24-25, 2006 in Martin County with 38 participants.
The Planning Sub-committee will meet November 2, 2006 to begin developing a list of participants and to discuss the objectives of the District 10 LEPC Biennial Exercise. Location and scenario will also be discussed.
The Public Information and Marketing Sub-committee will meet prior to the LEPC meeting on November 2, 2006 to discuss ongoing communications agendas for the region. The sub-committee is reaching out to homeowners associations and mobile home villages to foster hazardous materials educational opportunities. The sub-committee will develop a contact list of all safety and emergency preparedness personnel within each county and municipality to facilitate the ultimate goal of increasing communications and coordination among public and private agencies. Currently, the LEPC PowerPoint presentation is being updated and the District 10 LEPC brochure is now being printed in Spanish.
The next LEPC meeting is scheduled for November 2, 2006 at the Indian River Community College Chastain Campus in Stuart.
DISTRICT 11
South Florida Regional Planning Council
Broward, Dade and Monroe Counties
The District 11 Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) meeting was held August 23, 2006 at the Miami-Dade County Fire Rescue Department in Miami . Elections of Chair and Vice-Chair were conducted with current Chair George Danz and Vice-Chair Don Perdue re-elected for another term of two years.
The LEPC held its biennial hazardous materials exercise on June 27, 2006 at the Gulfstream Park in the City of Hallandale Beach. The exercise began at 9:00 p.m. and concluded at 11:00 p.m. The exercise scenario consisted of a simulated emergency response to a chlorine release caused by the turnover of a railroad tanker near the Broward and Miami-Dade County border. The exercise was designed to test a multi-county (Miami-Dade and Broward Counties ) response to a major hazardous materials incident. The scenario was designed to test the local emergency responders ability to coordinate, communicate and effectively handle large-scale incidents across county lines. Another component of the exercise was to test the ability of area hospitals to receive patients from a hazardous materials incident.
The scenario included the activation of the Broward and Miami-Dade Counties Emergency Operations Centers . Participants in the exercise included the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, Broward County Sheriff's Office, cities of Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale, Sunrise and Hialeah regional Hazmat Teams, cities of Dania Beach, Hallandale Beach, Miramar, and Pembroke Park Fire Rescue Departments, Memorial Hospital West, Broward County Medical and Trauma Agency, Miami-Dade Police Department, and City of Hallandale Beach Police Department, Broward and Miami-Dade County environmental agencies, the Florida Department of Health and a representative from the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
The LEPC conducted a 40-hour Fire Chemistry training class on June 19-22, 2006 and August 21-24, 2006. An 8-hour HAZWOPER Refresher course is scheduled for September 15, 2006, an 8-hour Hazardous Materials Awareness class is scheduled for September 22, 2006. Two Clandestine Laboratory Awareness Level classes are being scheduled for the end of September.
The Community Outreach planning project for Section 302 facilities consists of three workshops to facilities in Broward, Miami-Dade, and Monroe counties. The workshops will include facility managers/personnel; emergency response personnel and the general public that resides or works close to the facilities. All presentations are scheduled to be completed during the month of September 2006.
The next LEPC meeting is scheduled to take place October 25, 2006.
|
|
  |
