Harm to human health, infrastructure and the environment may occur in the immediate aftermath of a chemical incident, regardless of whether it was accidental or the result of a malicious act. The geographic area affected by an incident may be large and consequences may occur in multiple communities as contamination is moved by air or water. Cross-jurisdictional collaboration and coordination among multiple agencies at all levels is key to effectively responding to and recovering from a chemical incident.
The narratives presented above were chosen to illustrate these and other important and common characteristics regarding the recognition of, response to, and recovery from different types of chemical events. For example:
Decisions must be made in the face of uncertainty. Uncertainty comes from the unexpected, such as when the chemicals stored at a flooded plant would combust, from misinformation, such as the inaccurately identified chemical leak that a local water treatment plant initially thought it could remove, and from a lack of information, such as the lack of information on the substance that was causing illness observed in farm workers or schoolchildren. In all of these cases, initial steps had to be taken to respond and reduce further risk to the public without knowing the full context of the incidents. Uncertainty will be present during planning as well; development of plans that have the flexibility to address a wide variety of scenarios is key to rapid response initiation.
First responders can become exposed. Concerns abound regarding the potential for exposure to illicit drugs during the course of their work among first responders. Following the attempted assassination in the UK, multiple first responders became contaminated with and suffered health effects from the at-the-time unknown chemical substance, because quick responses were required in the absence of information regarding the cause of the targets’ illnesses. In another example, first responders fighting the crude-oil fed blaze caused by a train derailment were forced to take short shifts to avoid falling ill from the toxic fumes emanating from the site.
Interagency cooperation and integrated operations are key to response and recovery efforts. In multiple incidents described, the ability to respond quickly and/or to prevent further illness or spread of contamination required communication and coordination between multiple agencies or organizations. The example of contaminated food demonstrates how public health preparedness plans that include two-way communication between emergency and health departments can facilitate lifesaving activities. For deliberate events and accidents, support of ongoing investigation is essential, and the incident management and investigative efforts must be coordinated. Even actions as seemingly routine as shutting down roads near the site of an incident and providing adequate medical treatment to injured/ill individuals often will require the efforts of multiple responders and offices. To provide adequate capacity, resources may be needed from multiple jurisdictions and/or healthcare facilities.
Communication with the public is vital. The ability to maintain public trust and transmit new information as it is learned as a situation unfolds, with the goal of reducing risk to the public, rests upon the implementation of appropriate communication strategies. In events that require the public to take protective actions – such as the evacuations/sheltering following flooding of a chemical plant or the rupture of a single tanker car full of chlorine, or the Do Not Use instructions following the contamination a water supply – the timely provision of accessible information from trusted sources is essential for ensuring public cooperation.
Even small events can have large and possibly extended consequences. Following the chemical leak into a waterway and the attempted assassination described, the lives of the public were upended for weeks, local businesses suffered in the aftermath and contaminants were found substantial distances away from the original incident. Meanwhile, the contamination of foods at a single warehouse had the potential to sicken children across an entire state, and the contamination of agricultural workers with pesticide at a single site was enough to overtax local healthcare support capacity.
Large events can have massive and extended consequences. Loss of power and environmental (temperature) control at a flooded chemical plant and the ensuing combustion of hundreds of thousands of pounds of chemicals kept residents out of their homes for more than week. In a prime example, decontamination and reconstruction activities are still ongoing more than five years following the derailment of a train carrying crude oil; cleanup costs have skyrocketed and it is unclear who will ultimately foot the bill.
Common characteristics such as these will appear throughout the Key Planning Factors and Considerations for Response to and Recovery from a Chemical Incident. Keeping them in mind while reading the rest of the document will help guide the development of planning and preparedness activities appropriate for each community.