Teamwork in HazMat Response

Capt. John DeFillippo, CHMP, EMT-B

I recently reviewed a student HazWOPER field exercise. I’ve seen good execution many times, but this class was not one of them. Why not? Poor planning. It always comes down to planning. Whether you are working together for the first time or are a part of a regular response team, what you do before you suit up definitely dictates the outcome.

“If you fail to plan, you better plan to fail”

I was told that phrase many moons ago and let me add “practice” to “plan” for a hazardous material/waste response event. Teams who break the gear out once a year for their mandatory refresher training get a rude awakening when we review the drill and watch the video that documents their slip-ups and indecision. We are all relieved that it was just a practice drill and no one’s life was on the line.

Practice Saves Time and Increases Effectiveness

At Emilcott, one of the biggest problems that we see during a hazardous material / waste response is no assignment of personnel assigned to the needed roles before the response. This often-ignored, crucial step saves time, duplication of effort and aids in quick reaction time.  As you probably know, actions taken in the first minutes of an emergency usually determine the outcome, so it is imperative that you know your job cold before you have to do it.

Recently I was part of a crew on a 42-foot sailboat competing in the 2010 Newport Bermuda Race and was able to draw some parallels between my sailing hobby and my job as a HazWOPER trainer. With a crew of five on a small boat hundreds of miles offshore, each member needs to know their job as lives depend on it… a storm at night is not the time for a discussion or indecision. The same holds true during a hazmat incident, or any critical situation, especially when victims are involved.

HazWOPER teams whose members know their responsibilities beforehand are more likely to have a successful outcome. Posting duty boards with names and positions and quick weekly meetings and updates are key. Where is the equipment? When was it checked? This must be done monthly, it’s required under OSHA standards. Weekly or monthly meetings present a great opportunity to do a “table-top” or walk-through exercise. Before heading up to Newport, our racing crew sailed together for months and drilled on our emergency procedures over and over until they became second nature. I was confident that the other crew members were going to do what they needed to do before they did it. That kind of teamwork and successful finish only comes from practice and planning.

How often does your response team practice or conduct drills? Do you just go to training and think that’s enough? What do you think about the students in this drill? What would help them improve and become an effective team?