12/3/2024 8:54:09 AM	FIRE 77 Course Outline as of Fall 2025	Changed Course
CATALOG INFORMATION
Discipline and Nbr:  FIRE 77	Title:  HAZMAT FOR PUBLIC SAFETY
Full Title:  Hazardous Materials for Public Safety
Last Reviewed:9/9/2024

Units		Course Hours per Week			Nbr of Weeks	Course Hours Total
Maximum	3.00	Lecture Scheduled	3.00		17.5 max.	Lecture Scheduled	52.50
Minimum	3.00	Lab Scheduled	0		6 min.	Lab Scheduled	0
		Contact DHR	0			Contact DHR	0
		Contact Total	3.00			Contact Total	52.50
		Non-contact DHR	0			Non-contact DHR Total	0

Total Out of Class Hours:  105.00

Total Student Learning Hours: 157.50

Title 5 Category:  AA Degree Applicable
Grading:  Grade Only
Repeatability:  00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP
Also Listed As: 
Formerly:  FIRE399.61

Catalog Description:

In this course, students will engage in a comprehensive study of the emergency response to hazardous materials (hazmat) incidents based upon NFPA 470, Title 29 Federal Code of Regulations CFR 1910.120, and CCR Title 8 § 5192. Topics that will be covered are basic hazardous materials legal requirements; hazard recognition and safety; terrorism recognition and response; use of the Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG);  hazardous materials properties and effects; hazardous material classification; chemical monitoring equipment; reference materials and databases;  isolation and notification requirements; incident planning, organization, command and scene management; response training levels, tactics and strategies; Personal Protective Equipment (PPE); countermeasures; protective actions; decontamination, documentation, and disposal requirements. Students who are successful in the requirements of the course and state testing will receive certificates in Hazardous Materials First Responder Operations (FRO), FRO Decontamination, FRO Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), and Hazardous Materials Incident Command (IC) from the California Specialized Training Institute (CSTI). CSTI provides Pro Board certification for FRO and Hazardous Materials IC.

 

CSTI requires all state certification exams and skill evaluations to be in-person. Students can participate in the class without state certification but must be present to take the exams.

 

Prerequisites/Corequisites:

Recommended Preparation:
Eligibility for ENGL 100 or ESL 100

Limits on Enrollment:

Schedule of Classes Information
Description:

In this course, students will engage in a comprehensive study of the emergency response to hazardous materials (hazmat) incidents based upon NFPA 470, Title 29 Federal Code of Regulations CFR 1910.120, and CCR Title 8 § 5192. Topics that will be covered are basic hazardous materials legal requirements; hazard recognition and safety; terrorism recognition and response; use of the Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG);  hazardous materials properties and effects; hazardous material classification; chemical monitoring equipment; reference materials and databases;  isolation and notification requirements; incident planning, organization, command and scene management; response training levels, tactics and strategies; Personal Protective Equipment (PPE); countermeasures; protective actions; decontamination, documentation, and disposal requirements. Students who are successful in the requirements of the course and state testing will receive certificates in Hazardous Materials First Responder Operations (FRO), FRO Decontamination, FRO Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), and Hazardous Materials Incident Command (IC) from the California Specialized Training Institute (CSTI). CSTI provides Pro Board certification for FRO and Hazardous Materials IC.

 

CSTI requires all state certification exams and skill evaluations to be in-person. Students can participate in the class without state certification but must be present to take the exams.

 

(Grade Only)
Prerequisites:
Recommended:Eligibility for ENGL 100 or ESL 100
Limits on Enrollment:
Transfer Credit:CSU;
Repeatability:00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP

ARTICULATION, MAJOR, and CERTIFICATION INFORMATION

Associate Degree:		Effective:		Inactive:
Area:
CSU GE:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
IGETC:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
CSU Transfer:	Transferable	Effective:	Fall 1998	Inactive:
UC Transfer:		Effective:		Inactive:
C-ID:

Certificate/Major Applicable: Both Certificate and Major Applicable

COURSE CONTENT

Student Learning Outcomes:
At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Demonstrate the use of the ERG to identify the hazardous materials, hazard classification, recommended protective distances, primary and secondary hazards and/or chemical behaviors, appropriate PPE and first responder actions.

2. Recognize the need for and demonstrate emergency, and technical decontamination of victims and responders.

3. Demonstrate the implementation of the Incident Command System for safe and competent response to a hazardous materials incident.

 

Objectives:

At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Identify the various levels of training for dealing with hazardous material incidents and response strategies.

2. Describe transportation methods for hazardous materials; containers, the placarding system, use of the ERG, response information, and isolation guides.

3. Describe the use of hazardous materials in terrorism and the potential targets.

4. Identify the physical & chemical properties of hazardous materials, hazard classes and their exposure hazards.

5. Identify federal and state laws and regulations related to hazardous materials.

6. Describe methods of scene safety, management and the application of the Incident Command System (ICS) at hazardous material incidents.

7. Identify the mandatory notification requirements and the need to communicate with other government agencies.

8. Identify the appropriate levels of PPE their use and limitations in conducting work activities.

9. Identify the appropriate selection and use of countermeasures.

10. Identify the appropriate selection and principles of protective actions.

11. Identify the documentation and disposal requirements associated with a hazardous material incident.

12. Describe and demonstrate the principles of decontamination.

13. Use of the Identification and Hazard Assessment (IDHA) to develop and implement an Incident Action Plan (IAP) for a competent response to a hazardous material incident.

Topics and Scope

At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to safely and competently recognize and respond to a hazardous materials incident by knowing the following:

 

I. Introduction to Hazmat at the FRO Level

    A. Training levels

         1. First Responder Awareness (FRA)

         2. First Responder Operations (FRO)

         3. Hazmat Technician

         4. Hazmat Specialist

         5. Hazmat Incident Commander (IC)

    B. Response Strategies

         1. Non-intervention

         2. Defensive

         3. Offensive

II. Hazmat Transportation, Containers, Placards, Information Sources, and Use of the ERG

    A. Transportation of hazmats

         1. Trucks

         2. Trains

         3. Intermodals

         4. Shipping

         5. Aircraft

    B. Containers

         1. Non-bulk

         2. Bulk

         3. Facility containment systems

         4. Pipelines

         5. Containers at clandestine facilities

    C. Placards and information sources

         1. Department of Transportation (DOT) United Nations (UN) placards

         2. National Fire Protection Administration (NFPA) standard 704 markings

         3. Military markings

         4. Safety Data Sheets (SDS)

         5. Chemical Transportation Emergency Center (CHEMTREC)

         6. Poison Control

         7. California Environmental Reporting System (CERS)

          8. Computer-Aided Management of Emergency Operations (CAMEO)

         9. Other computer databases

         10. Monitoring equipment

         11. Facilities and occupancy type

         12. Physical observations

              a. Sights

              b. Sounds

              c. Odors

         13. Shipping papers

    D. ERG

         1. Use

         2. Hazard classifications

         3. Toxic Inhalation Hazard (TIH)

         4. Response information

         5. Isolation guides

              a. Protective action

              b. WMD's

         6. Glossary

         7. Tables I, II, and III

         8. Globally harmonized system (GHS) of classification and their labels     

III. Terrorism and Hazmats

    A. Motivations

    B. Groups and Individuals

    C. Terrorism response priorities

    D. Types of attacks

         1. Chemical

         2. Nuclear radiation

         3. Biological

         4. Explosive

    E. Targets

         1. Infrastructure

         2. Symbolic

         3. Civilian

         4. Eco-terrorism

         5. Agro-terrorism

         6. Cyber-terrorism

    F. Terrorism case studies

         1. Indicators of criminal or terrorist activity

         2. Responder safety

              a. Toxicity

              b. Secondary devices

IV. Hazmat Properties, Hazard Classes, and Exposure Hazards

    A. States of matter

    B. Physical and chemical changes

        1. Physical change

        2. Thermal influence

        3. Mechanical damage

        4. Chemical reaction

        5. Boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion (BLEVE)

        6. Expansion ratios

    C. Hazmat classes

         1. Explosives

         2. Gases

         3. Flammable and combustible liquids

              a. Flashpoint

              b. Ignition temperature

              c. Flammable range

              d. Vapor pressure

              e. Boiling point

              f. Vapor density

              g. Specific gravity

              h. Solubility

         4. Flammable solids

         5. Spontaneous combustible

         6. Dangerous when wet

         7. Oxidizers

         8. Organic peroxides

         9. Poisons

         10. Radiation

         11. Corrosives

     D. Exposure hazards

         1. Exposure versus.contamination

         2. Secondary contamination

         3. Routes of entry

         4. Chronic versus acute exposure

         5. Target organs

         6. Sensitizers

         7. Toxicity

              a. Lethal dose 50 (LD50)

               b. Lethal concentration 50 (LC50)

          8. Use of monitoring equipment

V. State and Federal Hazardous Materials Regulations

    A. California Code of Regulations

         1. Title 8

         2. Title 19

         3. Title 22

         4. Title 23

         5. Title 24

         6. Fish and Wildlife Code

    B. Federal Laws - Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 49

   C. Enforcement of laws and regulations

VI. Scene Safety, Management, and Initiating Incident Command

    A. Arriving safely

         1. Upwind, uphill, and upstream

         2. Size-up: Chemical ID and hazards

         3. FRO PPE limitations

         4. Rescue considerations using the ERG

    B. Scene management

         1. Public isolation distances

              a. Small spill or fire

              b. Large spill or fire

         2. Establishing a perimeter

         3. Controlling access points

         4. Monitoring weather conditions

         5. Identifying storm drains and other conduits

    C. Initiating the ICS

         1. Command modes

              a. Unified command

              b. Single command

         2. Incident Command (IC) responsibilities

              a. Command staff

              b. General staff

         3. Hazmat group

              a. Position functions

              b. Training levels

         4. Resource typing

              a. Type I teams

              b. Type II teams

              c. Type III teams

         5. Outside agency involvement

              a. Local

              b. State

              c. Federal

              d. Private

VII. Notification Requirements and Communication with other Government Agencies

    A. Notification requirements

         1. Dispatch

         2. Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA)

         3. State Warning Center

         4. National response Center

    B. Communicating with governmental agencies

VIII. PPE Levels, Use and Limitations

    A. Levels

         1. Level A

         2. Level B

         3. Level C

         4. Turnouts

         5. Flash protection

    B. PPE Use

         1. Donning and doffing

         2. Work activities

    C. Limitations

          1. Hazards of PPE

         2. Common PPE failures

IX. Countermeasures

    A. Absorption

    B. Adsorption

    C. Blanketing/covering

    D. Damming, diking, diverting, and retaining

    E. Dilution

    F. Dispersion

    G. Neutralization

    H. Vapor Dispersion

    I. Vapor Suppression

X. Protective Action Principles

    A. Evacuation

    B. Shelter-in-place

    C. Rescue operations

XI. Documentation and Disposal Requirements

    A.  Evidence preservation and sampling

    B .Incident Action Plans (IAPs)

    C. Rescue and recovery

     D. Incident termination

         1. Debriefing

         2. Critique

         3. Written reports

XII. Decontamination (Decon) Methods and Practices

    A. Methods

         1. Absorption

         2. Adsorption

         3. Chemical degradation

         4. Dilution

         5. Disinfection

         6. Evaporation

         7. Isolation and disposal

         8. Neutralization

         9. Solidification

         10. Sterilization

         11. Vacuuming

         12. Washing

    B. Practices

         1. Technical decontamination

         2. Emergency decontamination

         3. Mass decontamination

         4. Secondary decontamination

         5. Respiratory decontamination

XIII. Identification Hazard Assessment (IDHA) and Developing an IAP

    A. Requirements and functions of the IC

         1. Serving as the On-Scene Coordinator

         2. Applicable laws and regulations

         3. Site safety plans

    B. Conducting the IDHA

         1. Identifying the substance - Resource materials

              a. Written

              b. Computer databases

         2. Monitoring equipment

         3. Assessing the hazard

              a. General health and fire hazard

              b. Physical and chemical properties

              c. Variables and modifying conditions

              d. Modeling behavior and outcomes

                   i. Volume

                   ii. Concentration

                   iii. Exposure

                   iv. Duration

                   v. Weather

                   vi. Plume modeling

                   vii. Populations threatened

                   viii. Toxicology

                   ix. Logistical problems

              e. Outcome if no actions are taken

    C. Developing the IAP

         1. Identifying objectives

         2. Identifying options

         3. Understanding countermeasures

         4. PPE

         5. Identifying protective actions

         6. Pre-incident planning

              a. Local response plans

              b. Area response plans

         7. Agency specific responsibilities

         8. Safety briefings

         9. Safety practices

              a. Buddy system

              b. Back-up team

         10. Decon options

         11. Confined space considerations

              a. Atmospheric hazards

                   i. Oxygen deficient

                   ii. Oxygen enriched

                   iii. Explosive atmospheres

                   iv. Toxic atmospheres

              b. Physical hazards

                   i. Engulfment

                   ii. Slips and falls

                   iii. Electrical

                   iv. Structural

                   v. Mechanical

    D. Implementing the response

         1. Command options

              a. Single

              b. Unified

         2. Roles and responsibilities

         3. Emergency plan

         4. Outside agency support

              a. Coast Guard

              b. EPA

              c. FBI

         5. Public Information Officer (PIO)

         6. Liaison Officer

         7. Joint information center

    E. Evaluating progress

    F. Terminating the incident

         1. Debriefing

         2. Conducting a critique

         3. Reporting and documenting

Assignments:

1. Read 30 - 50 pages weekly from the textbook, manuals, and other assigned material

2. Participate in a tabletop scenario involving a hazardous materials/WMD incident by assuming an assigned role and performing the associated duties. The student will take on the role of Hazardous Materials Incident Commander, Safety Officer, or Group Supervisor for the Hazmat IC scenario.

3. Quizzes (8 - 13) Module quizzes to prepare the students for the certification exams

4. CSTI FRO exam

5. CSTI Decontamination exam

6. CSTI WMD exam

7. CSTI Incident Commander exam

8. Perform 5 - 12 assignments of hazardous materials/WMD incidents, such as case studies, laws and regulations, chemical properties of hazardous materials, hazard communication

9. Perform 5 - 12  hazardous materials discussion exercises. Students will interact with each other while discussing articles, laws, regulations, and videos provided in the discussion page.

10. ERG skills exercises (2 - 4) will be based upon the skill sheets provided.

11. Decontamination skills exercises (2 - 4) will be based upon the skill sheets provided.

12. Donning and doffing PPE skills exercises (2 - 4) will be based upon the skill sheets provided.

13. Countermeasure skill exercise(s) (1 - 4) will be based upon the skill sheets provided.

Methods of Evaluation/Basis of Grade.

Writing: Assessment tools that demonstrate writing skill and/or require students to select, organize and explain ideas in writing.		Writing 5 - 25%
Tabletop scenario and hazardous materials/WMD incident assignments
Problem solving: Assessment tools, other than exams, that demonstrate competence in computational or non-computational problem solving skills.		Problem Solving 25 - 45%
Hazardous materials/WMD incidents and discussions exercises
Skill Demonstrations: All skill-based and physical demonstrations used for assessment purposes including skill performance exams.		Skill Demonstrations 10 - 15%
Skill exercises and tabletop scenario
Exams: All forms of formal testing, other than skill performance exams.		Exams 35 - 40%
Quizzes (multiple choice) and Exams
Other: Includes any assessment tools that do not logically fit into the above categories.		Other Category 0 - 0%
None

Representative Textbooks and Materials:

Hazardous Materials for First Responders. 6th ed. IFSTA. International Fire Service Training Association. (2022).

Hazardous Materials: Managing the Incident. 5th ed. Noll, Gregory and Hildebrand, Michael. Jones & Bartlett Learning. (2022).

DOT - Emergency Response Guide. Department of Transportation. 2024.

California Safety Training Institute Hazardous Materials Pro Board FRO Participant Manual (free download)

California Safety Training Institute Hazardous Materials Incident Commander Participant Manual (free download)

California Safety Training Institute FRO Decontamination (free download)

California Safety Training Institute FRO Weapons of Mass Destruction (free download)

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