Chapter 38

Question 1

bills of lading

Answer 1

The shipping papers used for transport of chemicals over roads and highways. Also referred to as freight bills.

Question 2

carboys

Answer 2

Glass, plastic, or steel containers, ranging in volume from 5 to 15 gallons

Question 3

casualty collection area

Answer 3

An area set up by physicians, nurses, and other hospital staff near a major disaster scene where patients can receive further triage and medical care

Question 4

Chemical Transportation Emergency Center (CHEMTREC)

Answer 4

An agency that assists emergency personnel in identifying and handling hazardous materials transport incidents

Question 5

cold zone

Answer 5

A safe area at a hazardous materials incident for the agencies involved in the operations. The incident commander, the command post, EMS providers, and other support functions necessary to control the incident should be located in the cold zone. Also referred to as the clean zone or the support zone.

Question 6

command

Answer 6

In incident command, the position that oversees the incident, establishes the objectives and priorities, and from there develops a response plan

Question 7

command post

Answer 7

The designated field command center where the incident commander and support personnel are located

Question 8

container

Answer 8

Any vessel or receptacle that holds material, including storage vessels, pipelines, and packaging

Question 9

control zones

Answer 9

Areas at a hazardous materials incident that are designated as hot, warm, or cold, based on safety issues and the degree of hazard found there

Question 10

cylinders

Answer 10

Portable, compressed gas containers used to hold liquids and gases. Uninsulated compressed gas cylinders are used to store substances such as nitrogen, argon, helium, and oxygen. They have a range of sizes and internal pressures.

Question 11

danger zone

Answer 11

An area where individuals can be exposed to toxic substances, lethal rays, or ignition or explosion of hazardous materials

Question 12

decontamination

Answer 12

The process of removing or neutralizing and properly disposing of hazardous materials from equipment, patients, and rescue personnel

Question 13

decontamination area

Answer 13

The designated area in a hazardous materials incident where all patients and rescuers must be decontaminated before going to another area

Question 14

demobilization

Answer 14

The process of directing responders to return to their facilities when work at a disaster or mass-casualty incident has finished, at least for those particular responders

Question 15

disaster

Answer 15

A widespread event that disrupts community resources and functions, in turn threatening public safety, citizens’ lives, and property

Question 16

drums

Answer 16

Barrel-like containers used to store a wide variety of substances, including food-grade materials, corrosives, flammable liquids, and grease. Drums may be constructed of low-carbon steel, polyethylene, cardboard, stainless steel, nickel, or other materials.

Question 17

Emergency Response Guidebook

Answer 17

A preliminary action guide for first responders operating at a hazardous materials incident in coordination with the US Department of Transportation’s labels and placards marking system. The ERG was jointly developed by the DOT, the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation of Mexico, and Transport Canada.

Question 18

extrication supervisor

Answer 18

In incident command, the person appointed to determine the type of equipment and resources needed for a situation involving extrication or special rescue; also called the rescue officer

Question 19

finance

Answer 19

In incident command, the position in an incident responsible for accounting of all expenditures

Question 20

freelancing

Answer 20

When individual units or different organizations make independent and often inefficient decisions about the next appropriate action

Question 21

freight bills

Answer 21

The shipping papers used for transport of chemicals along roads and highways. Also referred to as bills of lading.

Question 22

hazardous material

Answer 22

Any substance that is toxic, poisonous, radioactive, flammable, or explosive and causes injury or death with exposure

Question 23

hazardous materials (HazMat) incident

Answer 23

An incident in which a hazardous material is no longer properly contained and isolated

Question 24

hot zone

Answer 24

The area immediately surrounding a hazardous materials spill/incident site that is directly dangerous to life and health. All personnel working in the hot zone must wear complete, appropriate protective clothing and equipment. Entry requires approval by the incident commander or other designated officer.

Question 25

incident action plan

Answer 25

An oral or written plan stating general objectives reflecting the overall strategy for managing an incident

Question 26

incident commander (IC)

Answer 26

The overall leader of the incident command system to whom commanders or leaders of incident command system divisions report

Question 27

incident command system (ICS)

Answer 27

A system implemented to mange disasters and mass-casualty incidents in which section chiefs, including finance, logistics, operations, and planning, report to the incident commander

Question 28

intermodal tanks

Answer 28

Shipping and storage vessels that can be either pressurized or nonpressurized

Question 29

joint information center

Answer 29

An area designated by the incident commander, or a designee, in which public information officers from multiple agencies disseminate information about the incident

Question 30

JumpSTART triage

Answer 30

A sorting system for pediatric patients younger than 8 years or weighing less than 100 lb. There is a minor adaptation for infants since they cannot ambulate on their own

Question 31

liaison officer

Answer 31

In incident command, the person who relays information, concerns, and requests among responding agencies

Question 32

logistics

Answer 32

In incident command, the position that helps procure and stockpile equipment and supplies during an incident

Question 33

mass-casualty incident (MCI)

Answer 33

An emergency situation involving three or more patients or that can place great demand on the equipment or personnel of the EMS system or has the potential to produce multiple casualties

Question 34

material safety data sheet (MSDS)

Answer 34

A form, provided by manufacturers and compounders (blenders) of chemicals, containing information about chemical composition, physical and chemical properties, health and safety hazards, emergency response, and waste disposal of a specific material

Question 35

medical incident command

Answer 35

A branch of operations in a unified command system, whose three designated sector positions are triage, treatment, and transport

Question 36

morgue supervisor

Answer 36

In incident command, the person who works with area medical examiners, coroners, and law enforcement agencies to coordinate the disposition of dead victims

Question 37

mutual aid response

Answer 37

An agreement between neighboring EMS systems to respond to mass-casualty incidents or disasters in each other's region when local resources are insufficient to handle the response

Question 38

National Incident Management System (NIMS)

Answer 38

A Department of Homeland Security system designed to enable federal, state, and local governments and private-sector and nongovernmental organizations to effectively and efficiently prepare for, prevent, respond to, and recover from domestic incidents, regardless of cause, size, or complexity, including acts of catastrophic terrorism

Question 39

nonbulk storage vessels

Answer 39

Any container other than bulk storage containers such as drums, bags, compressed gas cylinders, and cryogenic containers. Nonbulk storage vessels hold commonly used commercial and industrial chemicals such as solvents, industrial cleaners, and compounds.

Question 40

operations

Answer 40

In incident command, the position that carries out the orders of the commander to help resolve the incident

Question 41

personal protective equipment (PPE) levels

Answer 41

Measures of the amount and type of protective equipment that an individual needs to avoid injury during contact with a hazardous material

Question 42

placards

Answer 42

Signage required to be placed on all four sides of highway transport vehicles, railroad tank cars, and other forms of hazardous materials transportation; the sign identifies the hazardous contents of the vehicle, using a standardization system with 10 3/4 inch diamond-shaped indicators

Question 43

planning

Answer 43

In incident command, the position that ultimately produces a plan to resolve any incident

Question 44

primary triage

Answer 44

A type of patient sorting used to rapidly categorize patients; the focus is on speed in locating all patients and determining an initial priority as their conditions warrant

Question 45

public information officer (PIO)

Answer 45

In incident command, the person who keeps the public informed and relates any information to the press

Question 46

rehabilitation area

Answer 46

The area that provides protection and treatment to fire fighters and other personnel working at an emergency. Here, workers are medically monitored and receive any needed care as they enter and leave the scene.

Question 47

rehabilitation supervisor

Answer 47

In incident command, the person who establishes an area that provides protection for responders from the elements and the situation

Question 48

rescue supervisor

Answer 48

In incident command, the person appointed to determine the type of equipment and resources needed for a situation involving extrication or special rescue; also called the extrication officer

Question 49

safety officer

Answer 49

In incident command, the person who gives the "go ahead" to a plan or who may stop an operation when rescuer safety is an issue

Question 50

secondary containment

Answer 50

An engineered method to control spilled or released product if the main containment vessel fails

Question 51

secondary triage

Answer 51

A type of patient sorting used in the treatment sector that involves retriage of patients

Question 52

single command system

Answer 52

A command system in which one person is in charge, generally used with small incidents that involve only one responding agency or one jurisdiction

Question 53

span of control

Answer 53

In incident command, the subordinate positions under the commander's direction to which the workload is distributed; the supervisor/worker ratio

Question 54

staging supervisor

Answer 54

In incident command, the person who locates an area to stage equipment and personnel and tracks unit arrival and deployment from the staging area

Question 55

START triage

Answer 55

A patient sorting process that stands for Simple Triage And Rapid Treatment and uses a limited assessment of the patient's ability to walk, respiratory status, hemodynamic status, and neurologic status

Question 56

termination of command

Answer 56

The end of the incident command structure when an incident draws to a close

Question 57

toxicity levels

Answer 57

Measures of the risk that a hazardous material poses to the health of an individual who comes into contact with it

Question 58

transportation area

Answer 58

The area in a mass-casualty incident where ambulances and crews are organized to transport patients from the treatment area to receiving hospitals

Question 59

transportation supervisor

Answer 59

The individual in charge of the transportation sector in a mass-casualty incident who assigns patients from the treatment area to awaiting ambulances in the transportation area

Question 60

treatment area

Answer 60

The location in a mass-casualty incident where patients are brought after being triaged and assigned a priority, where they are reassessed, treated, and monitored until transport to the hospital

Question 61

treatment supervisor

Answer 61

The individual in charge of the incident command triage sector who directs the sorting of patients into triage categories in a mass-casualty incident

Question 62

unified command system

Answer 62

A command system used in larger incidents in which there is a multiagency response or multiple jurisdictions are involved

Question 63

warm zone

Answer 63

The area located between the hot zone and the cold zone at a hazardous materials incident. The decontamination corridor is located in the warm zone.