HAZMAT Incident Sends One Patient to the Hospital Featured
07 June 2016 Don Devendorf, Fire Marshal
HAZMAT team responded to this morning’s incident.
Today, June 7, 2016 at approximately 10:20AM, the Prescott Regional Communications Center received a call from an employee of the Hotel St. Michael, on Prescott historic Whiskey Row reporting an unconscious man in their laundry room that had been working with some chemicals used for laundering.
Prescott Fire Department, Central Arizona Fire and Medical Authority, Prescott Police and Life Line Ambulance personnel responded to the scene to deal with a medical patient as well as a potential hazardous materials incident. Due to the unknown nature of the call, the Prescott Area Hazardous Materials Response Team, a joint venture between the Prescott Fire Department and the Central Arizona Fire and Medical Authority was activated. This activation includes the addition of a HAZMAT truck as well as off duty HAZMAT Technicians, and a volunteer Subject Matter Expert that responds with the team. The response force included 4 Engines, a Battalion Chief, a Hazmat truck and additional staff officers.
Upon arrival, firefighters donned protective clothing and self contained breathing apparatus and entered the structure to remove the patient to a waiting ambulance for transport to Yavapai Regional Medical Center. The patients’ condition is currently unknown. With the help of Prescott PD, the area was cordoned off and entry to the building, and the immediate area, was limited to only emergency responders to check for and chemical dangers to other occupants of the large commercial structure. Environmental monitoring showed no sign of any hazardous materials outside of the laundry room.
The HAZMAT team then began researching the potential chemical involved while wearing the proper level of chemical protective clothing. Air and chemical samples were obtained and tested.
Upon entering the laundry room, crews found a small amount of a cleaning agent outside of its container. The chemical was confirmed to be Sodium Hydroxide, a concentrated cleaning agent. Research showed that it is possible for some patients to react to the fumes of this chemical when in concentrated form. This chemical is also known to cause burns to the skin, eyes, and the respiratory tract when inhaled.
Personnel remained on the scene for almost two hours to assure that the area was decontaminated and no dangers remained in the room. There were no other injuries. Traffic was cut down to one lane on West Gurley Street and the alley behind Whiskey Row were blocked during this incident but no significant traffic disruptions were caused.