Response to chemical emergencies.

In 1983, there were more than 5700 transportation incidents in the United States involving chemicals ( I ) . Most of them, 4829, took place on highways; 851 involved railways, 66 happened aboard aircraft, and 13 Occurred during water transport. In most cases, the first on the scene at such emergencies are local police, sheriffs, and firefighters, who often lack the specialized training to assess the severity of the problem correctly and to take appropriate action. Several training programs for first responders are available, but because there are more than 5 million police (private as well as public) and 175,000 firefighters, only a limited number can be trained properly. Although courses can provide information about response techniques and strategies, they do not offer familiarity with environmental chemistry and toxicology. In various incidents, first responders to chemical emergencies took action based on incomplete information. The result was injury or damage that would not have occurred had more complete information been available earlier. In 1980, one such incident occurred in the Boston and Maine Railroad switching yard in Somerville, Mass., and involved the release of about 13,000 gal of phosphorus trichloride (2). Firefighters used water, first to try to prevent entry of the chemical into the sewer system and later to try to stop its evaporation. This action resulted in the creation of clouds of toxic fumes. Some 23,000 persons were evacuated, 418 were treated at the local hospital. A similar incident occurred in December 1985 on a ramp to the Capital Beltway surrounding Washington, D.C., when a truck carrying 4000 gal of femc chloride overturned. The tank NpNred and began to release the chemical and toxic fumes. In this case, danger was averted because no water was used to control the fumes. Nevertheless, the highway was closed for several hours (3).