Terminal Objective
•	The Haz-Mat First Responder awareness Level candidate shall identify the training requirements of NFPA 472, as well as other applicable regulatory requirements, as they relate to awareness level response.  
Terminal Objective
•	The Haz-Mat First Responder awareness Level candidate shall also be able to define the term awareness level responder, and identify responsibilities of analyzing, and implementing actions at that level of response.
Introduction
•	First Responders at the Awareness Level shall be trained to meet all competencies of NFPA 472 Chapter 4 (2002 Edition).
Introduction
•	Shall receive additional training to meet applicable requirements of the:
–	U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)
–	Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
–	Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA)
Definition
•	Persons who, in the normal course of their duties, could be the first on scene of an emergency involving hazardous materials.
•	Expected to recognize the presence of hazardous materials, protect themselves, call for trained personnel, and secure the area.
Role of the
First Responder
Awareness Level
•	The role of the first responder working toward the awareness level shall be to obtain competency in the knowledge and skills necessary to perform the following tasks safely:
Analyze The Incident
•	Determine the hazardous materials present and basic response information by completing the following tasks:
–		Detect  the presence of Haz-Mats 
–		Survey from a safe distance
–		Collect information from the North American Emergency Response Guidebook (NAERG)
Implement Actions
•	Consistent with the Local Emergency Response Plan (LERP), the organization’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), and the current edition of the NAERG by completing the following tasks:
–	Initiate protective actions
–	Initiate the notification process
Terminal Objective:
Analyzing the Incident
•	Given various facility and/or transportation situations or both, with and without hazardous materials present, identify principles of analyzing a hazardous materials response at the awareness level.
Definitions of
Hazardous Materials
and Dangerous Goods 
•	Identify the definitions of hazardous materials (Dangerous Goods in Canada).

Hazardous
Materials (DOT)
•	Definition: The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), a hazardous material is one that falls within 9  hazard classes some of those which have subcategories known as divisions
Hazardous
Materials (DOT)
•	Additionally, DOT states that “Hazardous materials pose an unreasonable risk to the health and safety of operating or emergency personnel, the public, and/or the environment if it is not properly controlled during handling, storage, manufacture, processing, packaging, use, disposal, or transportation.”
Hazardous
Substances (EPA)
•	Definition: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) term for chemicals that, if released into the environment above a certain amount, must be reported,  and, depending on the threat to the environment, federal involvement in handling the incident can be authorized.
Extremely Hazardous Substances (EPA)
•	Definition: EPA term for chemicals that must be reported to the appropriate authorities if released above the threshold reporting quantity.

Toxic Chemicals (EPA)
•	Definition: EPA term for chemicals whose total emissions or release must be reported annually by owners and operators of certain facilities that manufacture, process, or otherwise use a listed toxic chemical.
Hazardous
Wastes (EPA)
•	Definition: EPA term for chemicals that are regulated under the Resource, Conservation, and Recovery Act. 
Hazardous
Chemicals (OSHA)
•	Definition: Occupational Safety & Health Act (OSHA) term that denotes any chemical that would be a risk to employees if exposed in the work place.
Highly Dangerous
Substances 
•	Definition: OSHA  term that denotes any chemical that would posses toxic, reactive, flammable or explosive properties.
Dangerous
Goods (Canada)
•	Definition: All hazardous materials are called dangerous goods in Canadian Transportation.

DOT Hazard
Classes & Divisions
•	Identify DOT Hazard classes and divisions of hazardous materials and identify common examples of materials in each hazard class or division.
Primary Hazards of
DOT Classes & Divisions
•	Identify the primary hazards associated with each of the DOT hazard classes and divisions of hazardous materials by hazard class or division.
Placards & Labels
•	Identify U.S. and Canadian placards and labels that indicate hazardous materials.

Classes & Divisions
•	The DOT has classified hazardous materials according to their primary danger and assigned standardized symbols to identify the classes.
Classes & Divisions
•	Materials are grouped by their major hazardous characteristic and manymaterials will have other hazards as well.
–		Example:  A material may be poisonous, corrosive, and flammable but will only be grouped with whichever is considered the worst.
Class 1 (Explosives)
•	Major Hazard: Explosion
•	Any substance or article, including a device, that is designed to function by explosion (i.e. an extremely rapid release of gas and heat) or that, by chemical reaction with itself, is able to function by explosion.
Divisions
•	DOT has divided Class 1 hazards fall into 6 divisions.
Class 1.1
•	Mass explosion that affects almost the entire load
Class 1.2
•	Projection hazard but not a mass explosion hazard
Class 1.3
•	Fire hazard and either a minor blast or minor projection hazard
Class 1.4
•	Presents a minor explosion hazard
Class 1.5
•	Very insensitive explosives with mass explosion hazard
Class 1.6
•	Extremely insensitive explosives
Class 2
 Compressed Gases
•	Major Hazard: BLEVE
•	Sub Hazards
–	Flammable 
–	Oxidizer
–	Poisonous
–	Nonflammable
•	Divided into 3 divisions
Class 2.1
Flammable Gases
•	A material that is a gas at 68º  F or less at 14.7 psi or has a boiling point of 68º degrees or less at 14.7 psi.
–	Ignitable at 14.7 psi in a mixture of 13% or less by volume with air
–	Has a flammable range of at least 12% regardless of the lower limit.
Class 2.2 - Nonflammable, Nonpoisonous Gases
•	Any material or mixture that exerts an absolute pressure of 41 psia at 68º F.
•	Compressed gases, including liquefied gas,  pressurized cryogenic gas, and compressed gas in solution.
Class 2.3 Poisonous Gas
•	Vaporize easily and very dangerous to life, even in small amounts. 
•	Known to be so toxic to humans as to pose a hazard to health during transportation.
•	Presumed to be toxic because of laboratory testing.
Hazard Zones Associated
with Division 2.3
•	Utilizes LC-50 (Lethal Concentration 50%)
•	Concentration of a material, expressed as parts per million which kills half of the lab animals in a given length of time.
•	Significant in determining the toxicity of a material; the lower the value, the more toxic the substance.
2.4 Corrosive Gas
(Canada)
•	Gases which have a corrosive hazard (Canadian transportation only)
Class 3 
Flammable Liquids
•	Major Hazard: Burns readily

•	Flammable and Combustible liquids
Flammable Liquids
•	Any liquid having a flash point (FP) of not more than 141 degrees F.
Combustible Liquids
•	Any liquid that does not meet the definition of any other hazard class and has a flash point above 141 degrees F and below 200 degrees F.
	NOTE:  A flammable liquid with a flash point at or above 100 degrees that does not meet the definition of any other hazard class except 9, may be reclassified as combustible.
Class 4
(Flammable Solids)
•	Major Hazard: Rapid combustion with a liberation of mass quantities of smoke (toxic).
–	Divided into 3 divisions
•	4.1 Flammable Solids
•	4.2 Spontaneously Combustible
•	4.3 Dangerous When Wet
4.1 Flammable Solids
•	Three types
–	Wetted explosives
–	Self-reactive materials
–	Readily combustible solids
Wetted Explosives
•	Explosives wetted with sufficient water, alcohol, or a plasticizer to suppress explosive properties.
Self-Reactive Materials
•	Materials that are liable to undergo, at normal or elevated temperatures, a strongly exothermic decomposition.
Readily
Combustible Solids
•	Solids that may cause a fire through friction and metal powders that can be ignited.
4.2 Spontaneously Combustible Materials
•	Pyrophoric Materials
•	A liquid or solid that, even in small quantities and without an external ignition source, can ignite within 5 minutes after coming in contact with air.
4.2 Spontaneously Combustible Materials
•	Self-Heating Material 
•	A material that, when in contact with air and without an energy supply, is liable to self-heat.
4.3 Dangerous When
Wet Materials
•	Material that, by contact with water is liable to become spontaneously flammable or to give off flammable or toxic gas at a rate of greater than 
1 l/kg of the material, per hour.
Class 5 (Oxidizers)
•	2 Divisions
	Major Hazard 5.1:
–	Supports combustion and intensifies fire
	Major Hazard 5.2:
–	Unstable/reactive explosives
5.1 Oxidizers
•	Materials that may, generally by yielding oxygen, cause or enhance the combustion of other materials.
5.2 Organic Peroxides
•	Any organic compound containing oxygen in the bivalent O-O structure that may be considered a derivative of hydrogen peroxide, where one or more of the hydrogen atoms have been replaced by organic radicals.
•	Organic peroxides have been further broken down into types a-g (worst to least hazardous).
Class 6 Poisons
•	2 Divisions
•	NOTE: Poisonous gases are Class 2 Division 3
–	6.1 Poisonous Material
•	Major Hazard: Toxicity
–	6.2 Infectious Substances
•	Major Hazard: Infectious
6.1 Poisonous Materials
•	A material, other than a gas, that is either known to be so toxic to humans as to afford a hazard to health during transportation, or in the absence of adequate data on human toxicity, is presumed to be toxic to humans, including irritating materials that cause irritation.
6.2 Infectious Substances 
•	A viable microorganism, or its toxin, that causes disease in humans or animals.
•	Infectious substance and etiologic agents are the same. 
•	No Placards (labels only)
Class 7 Radioactive 
•	Major Hazard: Radioactive poisonous burns
•	Definition: Materials having a specific activity greater than 0.002 microcurie per gram 
Class 8 Corrosives
•	Major Hazard: Burns/
–	emulsification skin damage
•	Definition: A liquid or solid that causes visible or irreversible alterations in human skin tissue at the site of contact, or a liquid that has a severe corrosion rate on steel or aluminum.
Class 9 Miscellaneous 
Hazardous Materials 44
•	A material that presents a hazard during transport, but that is not included in another hazard class
Class 9
•	Division 9.1 - Miscellaneous Dangerous Goods (Canada)
•	Division 9.2 - Environmentally Hazardous Substances (Canada)
•	Division 9.3 - Dangerous Wastes (Canada)
Cryogenic Rail Car

Initial Notification Procedures
•	Given either a facility or transportation scenario involving hazardous materials, regardless of the presence of criminal or terrorist activities, the first responder at the awareness level shall identify the appropriate initial notifications to be made and how to make them, consistent with the local emergency response plan or the organization's standard operating procedures.
Initial Notification
Procedures 
•	To make the appropriate notifications the awareness level responder must:
–	Be familiar with the notification process
–	Rapidly set the proper notification process in motion