SBCFire Annual Report FY13-14 | Page 23

annual report | 19 Moving Forward (cont.) Hazardous Materials Division Emergency Response County Fire Answers the Call for Assistance From responding to chemical emergencies, providing ongoing training, and participating with public outreach opportunities, the Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) Emergency Responders continue to protect human, health and the environment. Transportation related releases continued to require OFM Emergency Responders to leap into action. As an example, in December, a truck hauling hydrochloric acid developed a leak that found its way to a nearby storm drain. Approximately 600 gallons leaked from the truck, thus evacuating an estimated 200 people from a truck stop and surrounding area. Then in February, a semi-truck transporting 48,000 pounds of liquefied natural gas rolled over on the I-40. The roll over severely damaged the tank resulting in an uncontrolled release of highly flammable, non-odorized methane gas, causing intermittent closures of the I-40 in both directions for over 24 hours. The tanker was eventually up righted and tanker contents safely evacuated in a monitored and controlled process. San Bernardino County Firefighters responded to multiple wildland fires from Northern California south to the San Diego County complex fires, to the Etiwanda Fire in our back yard of Rancho Cucamonga, answering calls for assistance with structure defense, and to battle these raging wildland fires. But transportation related incidents weren’t the only emergencies the OFM Emergency Responders responded to. Drug labs are making a come-back. Recently, OFM Emergency Responders were requested to a clandestine methamphetamine lab in Hinkley. Once on scene, testing revealed that the property in question was heavily contaminated as a result of the illicit operations and the property was posted as unsafe to occupy. OFM Emergency Responders worked with the property owners on a site remediation plan for the building. Additionally, OFM Emergency Responders responded to a report of flammable gas contained in a manhole in Redlands. Upon arrival, monitoring efforts discovered flammable gas in ranges that could be harmful to human health and the environment. Local agencies evacuated a medical building and elementary school as a precaution, until further air modeling could be conducted. Residents in the area were asked to “shelter in place” until the emergency was over. San Bernardino County Fire is committed to the master mutual aid program in the State of California. As such, County Fire has deployed several strike teams this past year. A Strike Team consists of a strike team leader and 5 engines (staffed with 20 firefighters). On wildland fire assignments, these teams often work in steep rugged terrain cutting line and constructing firelines and fuelbreaks to suppress the fire, or they may provide structure defense to homes and businesses, and other valuable resources. A strike team assignment can last as many as 14 days if not longer. It is not uncommon for firefighters to spend numerous days away from home either on the fire assignment itself or backfilling a station left empty due to the strike team leaving.