NFPA-473-2002 Standard for Competencies for EMS Personnel Responding to Hazardous Materials Incidents

NFPA-473-2002 Standard for Competencies for EMS Personnel Responding to Hazardous Materials Incidents. 3.3.19* Exposure. The process by which people, animals, the environment, and equipment are subjected to or come in con- tact with a hazardous material. [472:3.3] 3.3.20 Hazard/Hazardous. Capable of posing an unreason- able risk to health, safety, or the environment; capable of caus- ing harm. [471:3.3] 3.3.21 Hazardous Materials. A substance (solid, liquid, or gas) capable of creating harm to people, property, and the environment. (See Annex F.) 3.3.22* Hazardous Materials Response Team. The hazard- ous materials response team is an organized group of trained response personnel, operating under an emergency response plan and appropriate standard operating proce- dures, who handle and control actual or potential leaks or spills of hazardous materials requiring possible close ap- proach to the material. 3.3.23 Identify. To select or indicate verbally or in writing us- ing standard termsto establish theidentity of; the fact of being the same as the one described. [472:3.3] 3.3.24 Incident. An emergency involving the release or po- tential release of a hazardous material, with or without fire. 3.3.25* Incident Commander. The person who is responsible for all decisions relating to the management of the incident and is in charge of the incident site. [472:3.3] 3.3.26* Incident Management System (IMS). Asystem that de- fines the roles and responsibilities to be assumed by personnel and the operating procedures to be used in the management and direction of emergency operations. 3.3.27 Local Area. A geographic area that includes the de- fined response area and receiving facilities for an EMS agency. 3.3.28 Medical Control. The physician providing direction for patient care activities in the prehospital setting. 3.3.29 Medical Surveillance. The ongoing process of medical evaluation of hazardous materials response team members and public safety personnel who respond to a hazardous ma- terials incident. 4.1 General. 4.1.1 Introduction. All EMS personnel at EMS/HM Level I, in addition to their BLS or ALS certification, shall be trained to meet at least the first responder awareness level as defined in NFPA 472, Standard for Professional Competence of Responders to Hazardous Materials Incidents, and all competencies of this chapter. 4.1.2 Goal. The goal of the competencies at EMS/HM Level I shall be to provide the individual with the knowledge and skills necessary to safely deliver emergency medical care in the cold zone and meet the following requirements: (1) Analyze a hazardous materials emergency to determine what...