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RESPONDING TO FIRES AT PETROCHEMICAL FACILITIES

BY RICK HAASE

It's 2 a.m., and thunderstorms are rolling through your response district. A large clap of thunder wakes you from a sound sleep. As you try to fall back to sleep, you are awakened by the alert tones and the communicator's voice dispatching you to a report of fire at a local chemical processing facility. You quickly head to the apparatus bay and board the engine. As you leave the station, the communicator informs you that the dispatch center is receiving numerous calls for a large fire in the area of the processing facility.

As you round the corner, you see a large fireball exiting the processing plant. You instantly realize that your 1,500-gpm pumper with 750 gallons of water and 15 gallons of foam is not going to provide the extinguishing power you need to quench this fire. Now at 2 a.m., you suddenly realize you do not have the resources or the training to tackle the fire in this chemical processing facility that you have driven past literally hundreds of times on the way to other "routine emergencies."

Response to petrochemical facilities such as refineries, chemical plants, terminals, and bulk storage facilities is much different from that to the normal residential structure fire or an EMS run. There are many different types of hazards. The incidents may require different types of training and resources. The tactics used to mitigate the emergencies may be extremely different from those used in routine operations.

Many departments that have petrochemical facilities in their response districts fail to realize the potential these facilities have for presenting challenging and dangerous emergency scenarios. Because of the nature of their operations, most petrochemical facilities implement well-rounded fire protection and safety programs. Even with these programs in place, incidents can still happen. Fires in process equipment (pumps, heat exchangers, furnaces, for example), storage tanks, and structures are just a few of the major fire incidents that may strike at a local petrochemical facility. Are you ready to handle these emergencies?

This is a typical process equipment arrangement at a refinery. Notice the highly congested equipment layout along with the numerous types of process equipment. A fire within this processing area would provide an extreme challenge for almost any fire department. If the fire department is not familiar with the equipment or the facility, it will be even more difficult to manage

and control the incident. (Photos by author.) Click here to enlarge image

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WHAT'S DIFFERENT ABOUT PETROCHEMICAL RESPONSE?

A fire department that normally responds to structure fires will find responding to a fire within a petrochemical facility a whole new ballgame. Fires at petrochemical facilities present hazards and challenges for which many municipal fire departments may not be ready. These facilities may contain many different types of chemicals (flammables, combustibles, acids, caustics, chemical mixtures) in different forms (liquid, gas/vapor, and solid). The quantities of materials may range from several hundred gallons to literally millions of gallons. If your department has ever responded to the propane gas grill fire with a 20-pound propane cylinder as the fuel source, multiply that hazard several thousand times if you are responding to a fire at a propane storage and distribution facility.

The general layout of petrochemical facilities makes any type of response more challenging. Most of these facilities are very congested. The roadway/access areas are narrow and hard to maneuver. The maze of pipes and structural elements provides a large number of aboveground and ground-level obstructions. Processing equipment elements are typically mounted in very close proximity to each other. The facilities are typically secured; therefore, general access may be obtained only through a minimal number of access points/gates.

The hazards of petrochemical facilities never go away; hazardous chemicals and processes are always present. In many cases, processing operations may continue 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Depending on the type of petrochemical facility, it may or may not be staffed regularly. Some pipeline facilities may not be staffed except for maintenance operations. Even though these facilities may be unstaffed, the operations within the facility may continue, monitored in a master control center

thousands of miles away. Some smaller batch-type plants may conduct processing operations during daytime hours and discontinue them for the evening. Staffing during the evening may be nonexistent or minimal. Larger-scale chemical plants or refineries generally operate around the clock. These facilities typically have a larger staff on-site during the day shifts and a considerable operations staff during evenings and weekends.

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Naturally, the hazards of a fire in a petrochemical facility are much different from those of the routine structure fire. Highly flammable or reactive chemicals may be present. Processes involving extremely high pressures, high temperatures, or varying degrees of chemical states may be present. Other hazards may include high-voltage electrical systems, high noise levels, toxic byproducts, and possibly out-of-control process operations (see Table 1). The type and significance of the hazards within petrochemical facilities vary greatly from facility to facility. First-due responders should make understanding the potential hazards for each facility in their response district a priority.

Another factor to consider is the level of firefighting equipment and expertise available at the site. For many small- to medium-size petrochemical operations, the level of fire protection/firefighting equipment on-site varies widely. The equipment may include only fire extinguishers and one or two hydrants fed off a municipal water system. In other cases, it may include fixed foam systems, deluge systems, and fixed turret monitors. Larger facilities generally have extensive fire protection systems that include dedicated fire water systems with tanks and pumps, elaborate monitoring, quick-acting deluge systems, and on-site apparatus. Firefighting expertise on-site may range from personnel with little or no firefighting knowledge to personnel trained to incipient stage fire response to fully staffed fire brigades with support staffs of fire protection professionals. Fire departments with first-due responsibilities should have a clear understanding of the firefighting equipment and expertise available at each petrochemical facility.

Remember that petrochemical facilities are businesses. The owners/operators of the facilities will be looking at the incident from a business standpoint as well as an emergency standpoint. They will immediately be looking for ways to try to limit damage and to save as much product as possible. The municipal fire service may want to take a nonintervention stance for these fires, but remember that the business owner/operator sees his profits going up in flames. Never risk personnel safety to save a facility. On the other hand, be properly prepared so that you do not allow a petrochemical facility to suffer extensive damage needlessly.

MANAGEMENT OF FIRES WITHIN PETROCHEMICAL FACILITIES

Managing a fire within a petrochemical facility can be very challenging. The complexity of the facility, coupled with the specialized firefighting operations, can overwhelm even the most seasoned fire service organization. Several key response tactics can help you better manage these types of fires. Following are some key topics routinely addressed by petrochemical firefighting professionals.

Incident Command System (ICS)

You must establish a well-defined incident command structure. If the fire is of any magnitude, the number of responders will increase rapidly; therefore, the ICS will need to expand widely to meet the span-of-control needs. A few key elements directly related to incident command operations include the following:

Strong command presence. Fire incidents within petrochemical facilities can become very taxing and be extremely technically oriented. Personnel commanding these responses must be prepared to deal not only with the emergency situation but also with the "side effects" of the situation, which include media, business interruption, community interface, and similar issues. Command personnel must have strong management skills and be ready to adapt as situations change.

Agency liaison. This is a very busy position. The liaison contacts and updates key regulatory agency personnel such as environmental agencies (the Environmental

Protection Agency, the Department of Natural Resources, for example), utility companies (water, electricity, for example), and government officials (city, township, county, and possibly state). Depending on the incident's severity and size, the agency liaison may also have to assist with some priority needs operations such as community notifications, shelter-in-place operations, or evacuation operations. During incidents of larger magnitude, the agency liaison will also have to work closely with the public information officer to ensure agency and media communications are consistent and accurate.

Process liaison. This is one of the most important members of the incident command staff during a petrochemical fire situation. Generally filled by a member of the petrochemical site process operation department (process shift foreman, shift superintendent, facility manager, for example), this individual is the link between process operations and emergency response operations. No petrochemical fire incident can be controlled effectively without controlling the process operations involved. The process liaison is vital in that he knows how to coordinate the proper control of process operations (closing valves, transferring product, shutting down systems, for example).

Expanded ICS structure. Petrochemical fire incidents require an expanded ICS structure. The large equipment and congested physical layout of many plants are best managed using the division format of operations in which support operations such as decon, foam supply, water supply, and industrial hygiene monitoring are established as sectors or groups. The incident commander must be aware that these incidents can grow rapidly and must, therefore, establish an organization system with the appropriate levels of management.

Size-Up

Sizing up a fire within a petrochemical facility is extremely challenging. Clearly identifying the problems or potential problems, hazards in the area, and other issues that could affect operations is a major undertaking. The complexity of these facilities makes being able to conduct a clear size-up challenging even for response personnel familiar with the facility.

A classic example of a size-up situation that perplexed even seasoned response personnel occurred several years ago in a large refinery. A small fire was reported on a scaffold built to conduct a welding operation on a structural steel support. The scaffold was about 40 feet above the ground. Welding operations had just concluded at the time the fire was reported. First-arriving units conducted a quick size-up and concluded that the wooden scaffold boards had been ignited by stray welding embers. Applying water to the boards with two handlines and a master stream device for 10 minutes failed to extinguish the fire. Responders decided to conduct another size-up, which revealed that a leak in the vent line from a gas burner system was feeding the original scaffold fire. After isolating the vent line system, the fire on the scaffold system was quickly extinguished.

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The initial size-up of a petrochemical facility fire includes many of the same elements that apply to a standard structure fire, but it also includes a number of process-related concerns. Table 2 outlines a number of standard items to consider during size-up operations at petrochemical facilities. Remember that size-up must be done initially and be ongoing during operations.

One additional extremely important part of size-up during petrochemical fires is the use of a recon team. The recon team is used to get a better overall view and understanding of the incident situation. Some of the key factors the recon team should be tasked with include the following:

Obtain a complete 360° view of the incident (if possible). Clearly identify the source of the fire(s).

Attempt to identify the chemicals involved in the fire.

Obtain a clear understanding of the site hazards.

Identify ingress and egress routes from the incident site.

Identify the location of water supply sources and any fixed fire suppression systems.

Identify any primary and secondary exposure concerns.

Important considerations for any recon operation are the team's makeup and team members' safety. Whenever possible, team members should be personnel who are as familiar as possible with the facility. Also, ensure that the recon team is properly protected and equipped; members should wear the proper personal protective equipment (full bunker gear with SCBA at the minimum) and should have the appropriate monitoring equipment (typically at least a four-gas monitor), and recon aids (binoculars, site map, and so on).

Petrochemical Fires Are Haz-Mat Incidents

Although many firefighting personnel would like to think otherwise, all petrochemical fires are hazardous-materials situations. Whether the fires involve propane, gasoline, solvents, or other chemicals, the situation is and must be treated as a hazardous-materials situation. Don't let the sight and sounds of the incident cause you to neglect common hazardous-materials response operations. Clearly identify the materials involved. Completely understand the properties of the chemicals. Wear the appropriate PPE.

Remember that chemical protective suits (Level A and Level B) do not provide thermal protection for firefighting operations and can cause a "shrink-wrap" effect if exposed to high-heat situations. Downgrade the PPE level only after the scene has been evaluated and appropriate monitoring has verified that chemical levels are acceptable. Resist the urge to doff PPE too early.

Identification and Control of Hazard Zones

Identifying and managing the hazard control zones should be a priority. Clearly identify the hot zone; allow only essential personnel into the hot zone. If there is any doubt about the hot zone boundary limits, expand the hot zone to an area that will provide a significant level of safety for personnel. During most petrochemical fire situations, most experienced petrochemical firefighters will initially identify a large hot zone area to provide for the safety of entry personnel and then decrease it as hazards are clearly identified and controlled.

Controlling access to the hazard control zones can be difficult. Wide expanses of process equipment will allow personnel to enter from many directions. A single entry and exit point will help control the access problem. Another factor to consider in zone management and control is that ongoing changes may affect the hazards within the control zones. Changes in wind direction,

pressure-relief valve activation, and additional process problems that result from the initial emergency can necessitate changes in control zone boundaries at a moment's notice.

Site Monitoring

One area generally neglected by many departments that do not deal with petrochemical fires regularly is site monitoring. This monitoring is essential in helping outline the boundaries of hazard control zones, identifying PPE requirements, and determining the potential need for evacuation or shelter-in-place operations. Site monitoring should be established on arrival and continue throughout the incident. Monitoring should be done in the following key locations: the immediate incident site (hot, warm, and cold zones), at the fence line of the facility site, and downwind in the surrounding community.

Remember to use basic monitoring guidelines. Personnel doing the monitoring should be protected by PPE and should have a basic idea of the type of monitoring operations that may be required (some basic byproducts of petrochemical fires include benzene, hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide, and carbon monoxide). Ensure that proper monitoring equipment and adequate personnel are available to conduct the monitoring operations. Always take into account how weather conditions will affect monitoring operations, and remember to document the results of all monitoring operations.

To meet the needs of monitoring operations, some larger petrochemical facilities have predefined monitoring teams of safety, industrial hygiene, and environmental specialists equipped with various specialized monitoring instruments. Other considerations include preplanning the monitoring equipment and high-profile locations such as schools, health care facilities, residential, and other areas that may have to be monitored according to wind conditions.

INDUSTRIAL TACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS

It is difficult to quickly size up and truly understand the specifics of a petrochemical fire. Therefore, initial operations typically will be defensive until all hazards have been clearly identified and the overall scope of the fire is understood. As this process is completed, the operations can move to a defensive/offensive or offensive operation.

The common tactical priorities (rescue, exposure, containment, extinguishment, overhaul) apply to petrochemical fire operations, but a few specifics, some discussed below, must be taken into account.

Rescue Operations

The rescue of personnel is a primary operation at petrochemical fires, as it is at any other type of fire. Rescues at the petrochemical fire might include personnel trapped at difficult-to-reach elevated process equipment locations. Responders may have to search extremely congested process equipment areas. Victims and rescuers may have to be decontaminated. Sometimes, it might be difficult to ascertain the exact number of victims.

Many petrochemical fire rescue operations include victims with serious burns and inhalation injuries. Associated trauma may also be present. The need for advanced life support care and rapid transportation (helicopter) should be considered early in a petrochemical fire incident at which there may be victims.

Exposure Protection

Protecting exposures must be a major tactical objective. Providing sufficient cooling for critical equipment is essential to help keep the incident from worsening, or equipment may fail and rapidly increase the hazard level and fire potential.

The 5-10-15 minute rule can be employed when prioritizing for exposure protection. If proper exposure protection is not provided for instrumentation/electrical system (cable trays and major distribution system, for example), these systems could fail in about five minutes. If pressurized vessels are inadequately protected, the extreme heat loads of direct flame impingement from petrochemical fires can cause the initial stages of boiling-liquid, expanding-vapor explosion conditions in as little as 10 minutes. Within 15 minutes, direct flame impingement on structural steel components supporting heavy process equipment can begin to weaken the structures. Although the 5-10-15 rule is not an exact science, it is a good basic rule of thumb for setting exposure protection priorities.

Depending on the specific situation, petrochemical fires may require large quantities of water just to provide adequate exposure protection. A general rule used for years is to use at least 500 gpm to provide adequate exposure protection for each point of flame impingement on the vessel. Most experienced petrochemical firefighters will tell you that this 500-gpm rule is a good starting point. Another thing to consider is the cascading effect vs. the steam effect. If the cooling stream is "steaming off" during application, the cooling is insufficient. If the cooling stream is cascading off the exposure, sufficient cooling is taking place.

Higher flow rates are needed for multiple points of flame impingement and nonpressurized storage vessels containing high volumes of product. Cooling streams of 1,000 gallons per minute (gpm), 1,500 gpm, and 2,000 gpm may be needed. As outlined above, don't forget to also provide cooling streams on instrumentation systems and structural support systems. Exposure streams may also be needed to cool other exposures such as buildings, pipe racks, and emergency egress paths. Streams may also be required to knock down toxic smoke generated by the fire.

With regard to exposure protection operations, you must carefully consider the large quantity of water needed for this purpose in relation to that needed for firefighting and evaluate the equipment and personnel needed to protect exposures. Consider using large-caliber streams from portable monitors and oscillating streams.

Finally, thermal shocking must always be considered when conducting exposure protection operations. Thermal shocking can occur when water from an exposure stream is directed toward a piece of process equipment that normally runs at a high temperature. The rapid cooling of the hot equipment can "thermally shock" the equipment and cause it to expand or contract at weak

locations such as flanged connections and leak. Such a leak can create a secondary emergency situation.

Containment and Control Operations

Containment and control operations involve haz-mat containment and control, process control, and runoff control operations.

Haz-mat containment and control. This includes the use of standard hazardous-materials response operations such as proper PPE, appropriate staffing (entry team and backup teams) for hot zone operations, entry briefing for personnel, decontamination, and similar operations. Depending on the type of materials burning, this may be an extremely specialized operation. For example, a fire that involves a "spent acid" that contains entrained hydrocarbons or a fire that involves a chemical additive that is flammable and caustic will require specialized response measures.

If hazardous materials are being released as a result of the fire, product containment and control operations—damming and diking, for example—may need to be implemented, which may be extremely difficult or even impossible in the case of a running fuel fire. If containment systems (pipes, vessels, or tanks) are required, patching and plugging operations may be needed after the fire has been contained.

Process control. To effectively control a fire at a petrochemical facility, the process operations must be controlled. This may be relatively simple in a small storage facility that contains only several storage tanks interconnected by piping and valves. An operating chemical plant or refinery presents more challenges. These plants typically consist of a variety of interconnected processing units that include a maze of piping, process vessels, and related equipment. Although these individual processing units are separately controlled, there is a great amount of interconnection between the units. An upset or fire in one processing unit can rapidly expand and cause problems in other sections of the plant. To make matters worse, the processing units cannot be shut down with the push of a button. Safe shutdown of processing systems requires a systematic manipulation of key operating components. Trained process control technicians must handle such operations.

Some key guidelines related to process control operations follow.

—Facility personnel familiar with the operations should conduct process control operations.

—Process control operators must be made aware of the urgency of the incident operations and should implement predefined emergency operations to safely discontinue process operations in affected areas.

—Process control operators should attempt to implement process control operations that will limit emergency response personnel's exposure to hazardous situations. This may include activating remote-control isolation valves, shutting down pumps or compressors to reduce the

pressure feeding a fire, transferring materials that may be feeding the fire area, introducing nitrogen or steam to assist in smothering the fire, and similar operations.

—Remember that process control operations within facilities are greatly interconnected. Changing operations in one area of the plant can cause potential issues in other areas of the plant.

—Firefighting personnel should not attempt to conduct process control operations (open or close valves, turn pumps on or off, and the like) without the approval of facility operators.

—Firefighting personnel should be in constant communication with personnel controlling process operations. Any process control changes that directly affect the incident control operations should be communicated prior to implementation. This includes operations that may cause pressure relief valves to operate, flaring activities to increase or decrease, and similar activities.

—Firefighting personnel should also communicate the status of their operations to process control operators. High water flows can flood process areas, affect wastewater treatment plant operations, and short out electrical equipment.

Runoff control. One issue often overlooked during petrochemical fires is controlling runoff water. This water can contain all types of contaminants, including unburned petrochemical products, fire byproducts, and chemicals from fire extinguishing agents (foam, dry chemical, and so on) that were used. Depending on the amount of water used for firefighting and exposure protection, the runoff water can easily overcome containment systems and carry over into natural drainage systems, causing the contaminants to travel to public venues, waterways, and environmentally sensitive areas. Appropriate control measures need to be implemented early in the incident. They may include damming, diking, deploying a boom, and overall management of firefighting/exposure control streams. Sam-pling runoff water and communicating with the agencies who may be affected by the runoff should also be considered early in the incident.

Extinguishment Operations

In general, you may encounter two basic types of petrochemical fires—the pressure-fed fire and the fuel in-depth fire. The pressure-fed fire is typically fed from a pressurized gas, but in certain cases a high-pressure liquid may feed the fire. The fuel in-depth fire is typically fed from flammable liquids within a closed container. Other types of fires are possible, however, and may include a running fuel in-depth fire, a flammable solid fire, and the "routine structure fire" that may or may not contain hazardous materials. You may find several different types of fire situations burning at the same time.

Extinguishing these types of fires may require a number of different types of operations. Tactics that may be employed could include the following, depending on the situation:

Isolating the fuel source. In a pressure-fed fire, the source of the fuel must be isolated. The best-case scenario is to do this by a remote-control valve or a secondary valve

remote from the fire area. The worst-case scenario would require personnel to close a manual valve under the protection of water streams.

Foam operations. For fuel in-depth fires, foam may be required for extinguishment. This may require a small amount of foam (spill fire) or large quantities of foam (storage tank fire). A running fuel in-depth fire (sometimes referred to as a three-dimensional fire) would require that the source of the leak be isolated in addition to applying appropriate agents such as dry chemical and foam in the case of a hydrocarbon leak.

Displacement of the fuel source. In some cases, displacing the fuel source or removing the oxygen will extinguish the fires. This can be accomplished by "inerting" the equipment by introducing nitrogen or another inert gas. In some situations, water can be injected to displace or float the fuel source from the vessel.

Controlled burns. In some situations, the best extinguishment method may be a controlled burn. If sufficient resources are not available or if the situation is extremely unstable, a controlled burn may be the best resort.

In general, the extinguishment of a petrochemical fire requires personnel experienced in these types of fires. The firefighting personnel will have to work closely with process operations personnel to isolate fuel sources and make the appropriate changes to the process control operations. Some key operations firefighting personnel must be ready to perform during petrochemical fire extinguishments include the following:

Multiple types of extinguishing agents may be required. This may include water, dry chemical, foam, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen; in some cases, even steam may be used.

High-volume water streams will be needed for extinguishments, exposure/cooling operations, and vapor suppression operations. Handlines are generally used limitedly at petrochemical fires. Most petrochemical fires require high-volume water streams (500 gpm, 1,000 gpm, 2,000 gpm, and possibly larger). Naturally, these types of streams require special considerations for setup and operation. These high-volume streams will be needed to overcome the immense thermal updrafts caused by the petrochemical fires.

High-volume foam streams may be needed. The typical 11/2-inch foam eductor system will probably prove inadequate for most of these fires. High-volume, apparatus-mounted foam systems or high-volume self-educting nozzles will be needed to produce the high-volume streams.

Naturally, if high-volume foam streams are needed, large-volume foam supplies will also be needed. Five-gallon buckets of foam are not the answer for high-volume foam supplies. The use of foam tenders and foam totes (250- to 300-gallon containers) will be required to support these high-volume foam supply needs.

Both high-volume water and foam streams will require high-volume water supply operations. This means high-volume water supply sources, high-volume pumpers (1,500 gpm and above), and large-diameter hoselays (five-inch hose and above).

An understanding of the process equipment (tanks, piping systems, process vessels, furnaces, cooling fan systems, and so on) involved in the fire is very important. Each

process vessel/system has specific hazards associated with its operation; there are also different chemicals within the vessel/system. It is advantageous for firefighting personnel to have a basic understanding of each type of equipment, but detailed information from on-site process control personnel is still needed to successfully mitigate the incident.

It is important to understand what the involved chemicals will do during a fire. Will the chemical react with water? Will the chemical release toxic gases when heated? What are the basic chemical properties (specific gravity, ignition temperature, and so on) of the involved chemicals? These and many more questions will need to be answered to successfully extinguish a petrochemical facility fire. Again, support from on-site process control personnel will be needed to fully understand the hazards of the involved chemicals.

Overhaul

Overhaul operations are somewhat different from those for structural fires. First, overhaul operations for petrochemical fires are very hydraulic in nature. Large amounts of water are typically required to cool the process equipment and massive steel support structures. The equipment and support structures must be completely cooled to prevent reignition of residual fuels. If pooled hydrocarbons are present, foam may be needed to assist with vapor suppression. Naturally, any Class A materials in the area should be overhauled using standard overhaul procedures.

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Overhaul operations during these types of incidents should not be taken lightly, however. Hazardous materials will still be present, so proper precautions should be taken, including proper PPE and air monitoring. Runoff from these operations still needs to be controlled. Standing water can hide other hazards in the area. High-voltage electrical systems, damaged structural support systems, or similar hazards can be present.

Decontamination

Decontamination must always be considered during and after fires at petrochemical facilities. Naturally, adequate contamination of personnel must always be the highest priority. At a minimum, an emergency decontamination station should be established at the outset of the incident. An appropriate multistage decon system should be established if necessary.

Decontamination of personnel is not the only concern, however. Decontamination of personal protective gear (bunker gear, boots, gloves, helmets, and SCBAs) must be completed. Portable equipment (hoses, nozzles, hand tools) and apparatus may also need to be decontaminated, depending on the materials involved. Equipment that can readily absorb materials (bunker gear, hoses, and so on) may require special off-site decontamination or may have to be disposed of in the case of extensive contamination. If off-site decontamination or disposal is required, ensure proper handling and documentation of the contaminated materials.

Support Operations

Successful extinguishment of petrochemical fires requires appropriate support services. You will need a large quantity of SCBAs and, therefore, an adequate on-site air supply system (spare bottles, cascade systems, or portable compressors).

These incidents can be of long duration, so an adequate rehab system will be needed. Many firefighters have succumbed under the strenuous operations at petrochemical fires. Personnel will need to be rotated to the cold zone for appropriate rehab. Decon personnel as they leave the hot zone for the rehab area. Also, never allow personnel to eat or drink in the hot or warm zones. They may unknowingly ingest chemicals.

Personnel need to be medically monitored. Naturally, vital signs should be monitored during rehab. Personnel who were potentially exposed to chemicals or smoke from chemical fires should undergo detailed medical monitoring (blood chemistry, urine analysis, and so on). This monitoring needs to be done initially after the incident and possibly on a longer-term basis according to the chemical(s) involved.

Other support operations may also be needed. This could include lighting, refueling, and transport for foam supplies. The size and complexity of the situation will dictate whether additional support operations are needed.

Securing the Scene

Don't prematurely release resources from the scene of a petrochemical fire. Ensure the fire is completely out, that all metal is cool and does not reignite residual fuel, and that all appropriate haz-mat response operations are completed.

Also make sure that appropriate communications have been completed. Communicate with the facility personnel to determine whether they feel the incident is secure from an emergency and a process control standpoint. Ensure that regulatory agencies have been apprised of the situation and are comfortable with the status of the incident. If evacuation or shelter-in-place activities

were instituted or if general information communications were sent to the general public, advise the public of the updated information and the status of the incident.

Keys to Preparing for Response

Obviously, the key to preparing for a petrochemical fire incident is to extensively preplan target hazards in your response district. These preplanning operations may include tours, acquisition of key documents, meetings with key facility personnel, joint training, and drills.1

Process equipment fires at petrochemical facilities are specialized operations. Under-standing the facilities, the hazards, and the tactics are only part of the overall equation. Maintaining a close working relationship with the process equipment operators is also vital. Preplan, research, and learn tested extinguishment and control operations. Trying to learn how to extinguish a process equipment fire during an incident at a fixed petrochemical is not recommended.

Endnote

1. For additional information on preparing for responses to fixed petrochemical facilities, see "Preparing for Response to Fixed Petrochemcial Sites," Fire Engineering, Nov. 2000.

RICK HAASE, CFO, CFPS, CEM, is the emergency response specialist/fire chief at the ConocoPhillips Wood River Refinery in Roxana, Illinois, and the volunteer chief of the Staunton (IL).Fire Protection District. He has an associate's degree in fire science technology, a bachelor's degree in advanced fire administration, and numerous state fire service certifications. He was awarded the 2001 Illinois Volunteer Fire Chief of the Year award and is currently the vice-chairman of the IAFC Industrial Section.

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