During a chemical incident, decisions on the need for protective actions must be made quickly, whether that action might be an area evacuation or a Do Not Use directive for water (see KPF 4, Control the Spread of Contamination for further discussion of protective actions). When uncertainties abound yet actions must be taken quickly to save lives and property, all available sources of information and expertise should be leveraged to support efficient decision-making. Many resources are available to help assess the situation, make predictions on chemical behavior, and estimate potential consequences. A host of planning, decision support/response, and modeling/ simulation tools are described in the Planning, Decision Support, and Modeling Resources for Chemical Incidents section of this document. For example, atmospheric dispersion modeling can be used to determine what areas, if any, should receive protective action guidance (e.g., evacuate or shelter-in-place) following the release of a volatile chemical. Federal modeling centers such as the Interagency Modeling and Atmospheric Assessment Center (IMAAC) and National Atmospheric Release Advisory Center (NARAC) can provide access to and assistance with multiple modeling resources for a range of chemicals and release scenarios. The use of these resources in determining the appropriate course of action should be made transparent by decision-makers; otherwise, public trust in official guidance will be degraded as unreliable assessments and unofficial alternative guidance are promoted by media “experts.” Note that due to the nature of chemical incidents, in many cases, a protective action decision cannot wait the hours needed to perform modeling analyses. However, post-incident modeling can be a useful tool for characterizing situations in which the chemical released is persistent, or when the release is ongoing.
Additional sources of information for assistance in evaluating a situation and for decision-making include:
- The Department of Transportation (DoT)’s Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG), which provides immediate protective action guidance, down-wind field predictions, and public health related information for chemical responses.
- CHEMTREC® which provides chemical-specific and general assistance during emergencies, around-the-clock access to hazardous material safety information, and, if needed, teams of experts to assist with the response and recovery.
- In addition to joint drills with local first responders, many sector partners also participate and support The Transportation Community Awareness and Emergency Response (TRANSCAERSM), which offers reference materials for HazMat emergencies as well as training and exercises to help first responders and communities prepare for and respond to HazMat emergencies.
Chemical incident-specific technical and emergency management expertise is also available through reach-back to federal agencies. For example, DHS’s Chemical Security Analysis Center (CSAC) offers “CSAC Technical Assistance” to FSLTT and first-responder agencies, including around-the-clock subject matter expert analyses regarding the threat or hazard posed by a specific chemical. Consultation with knowledgeable SMEs is recommended whenever possible to contextualize situational assessments and tool outputs and to confirm interpretations. An example of a chemical expert that can seamlessly integrate into emergency management operations is a Chemical Operations Support Specialist (COSS), a chemical professional trained and certified in a program developed by FEMA’s Office of Emerging Threats (OET). COSS are chemical safety professionals who are familiar with the Incident Command System and therefore can provide expert chemical information to responders and emergency managers; know what federal resources can be brought in to assist the response; and can assist communications staff in simplifying and clarifying information. (COSS are further discussed in Section 6.3.1.)
