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IAFF Testifies on Improving Hazardous Materials Safety
 May 15, 2009 – The IAFF
testified
before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous
Materials May 14 as part of the committee’s efforts to update federal laws
addressing the transportation of hazardous materials. Elizabeth Harman, director
of the IAFF Hazardous Materials/WMD Training Department, discussed the
importance of hazardous materials response training and the need to improve
hazardous materials identification tools for fire fighters.
Harman discussed the current challenges facing fire departments, noting that
only 29 percent of fire departments have their personnel trained in even the
basics of hazardous materials response and that training needs are growing due
to the current economy, advocating for increased funding for hazardous materials
training programs, including the hazardous materials training provided by the
IAFF. “Many local communities facing reduced revenues are choosing to cut funds
for training,” said Harman. “Increased funding would help states and
organizations such as the IAFF increase the number of students trained to
overcome the current knowledge gap, as well as help fill the unmet needs of
local fire departments.”
Harman also advocated for minimum training standards for fire fighters trained
with federal funds, noting that the level of training provided to emergency
responders in many states and localities is at the “awareness” level. “While
[awareness level] training would be appropriately provided to, for example, a
rail worker, this level of training is wholly inadequate to prepare first
responders for a hazmat call,” she said. The IAFF delivers operations-level
hazardous materials response training that is also NFPA 472 compliant, but many
responder training programs delivered with Department of Transportation funds
fail to meet even this minimum competency level.
Additional topics considered by the Subcommittee included the development of new
hazardous materials identification tools and information-sharing initiatives
such as the National Hazardous Materials Fusion Center. While supportive of such
efforts, Harman warned of their inherent limitations and insisted that such
endeavors must be in addition to current identification methods, such as
placards, shipping papers and training requirements.
The hazardous materials safety reauthorization bill is expected to be considered
by Congress in the coming weeks.
Full Testimony
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