Health & Safety
Consolidation trend continues for Michigan fire departments
As revenue to communities continues to evaporate, employers are looking for ways to cut costs. Unfortunately, fire services are not exempt from these cuts and the growing response is consolidation.
Michigan was particularly hard hit by the recession as communities try to come to grips with the lengthily loss of revenue due to the cap on property taxes caused by Proposal A of 1994. Until 1994, property was valued at half of its market value, or State Equalized Value (SEV). Now the growth in taxable valuable is limited to the rate of inflation or 5 percent, whichever is less. Since taxable value declined when the real estate market collapsed in 2007 and inflation remains around 2 percent, some communities have lost up to 20 percent of property tax revenue. In those municipalities, it could take up to a decade to fully recover the same revenues.
Introduction
Fittings (i.e. pressure relief device and valves) leaks on chlorine tank cars and tank trucks rarely occur. Should a leak occur, prompt corrective action is required by trained, competent personnel. The first steps a responder should take are identifying the source of the leak and determining the proper course of action. Most often a leak can be stopped by simply ensuring all valves are completely closed. However, if a leak cannot be stopped by simpler mitigation techniques, a properly trained responder will need special equipment to stop the leak until the contents can be unloaded safely. A proven and widely accepted package of equipment that meets this critical need and has been used for more than 40 years is the Chlorine Institute (CI) Emergency Kit "C" (or C-Kit), which is specifically designed for use with standard U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) compliant chlorine tank cars and cargo tanks.
What is in an Emergency Kit "C"?
The C-Kit contains devices and tools to stop leaks in and around the pressure relief device and angle valves used to load chlorine into and unload it from the tank. These valves are located within a steel enclosure (housing) mounted on top of the chlorine tank car or tank truck. The C-Kit is the chlorine emergency kit for chlorine tank cars and tank trucks that is manufactured to design recommendations of The Chlorine Institute. Since being introduced in the late 1960s, more than 5,500 C-Kits have been supplied to emergency responders all over North America by Indian Springs Manufacturing Co. (www.indiansprings.com), Baldwinsville, N.Y.
Who Typically Uses the C-Kit and How Are These Personnel Trained?
Public- and private-sector emergency response organizations own C-Kits and are trained to use them. Public-sector responders typically include fire departments, while private-sector responders would include CHLOREP (Chlorine Emergency Plan) teams, from Chlorine Institute member companies, or hazardous materials emergency-response contractors (ER contractors). The Chlorine Institute periodically provides free training for both public- and private-sector responders on C-Kit use through both TRANSCAER® (Transportation Community Awareness and Emergency Response) sessions and individual member outreach. For example, in 2011 the Chlorine Institute in cooperation with the Union CI Briefing Paper C-Kit- Proven Equipment April9, 2012 Pacific Railroad trained over 400 emergency responders in Los Angeles and Chicago how to deal with a chlorine emergency, including how to apply a C-Kit.
If a particular emergency situation permits, it is recommended to activate the CHLOREP Network, because these responders are typically the most knowledgeable and experienced in chlorine tank car release mitigation. If the situation presents an imminent risk to public safety, it is crucial that public responders on the scene are trained on proper use of the C-Kit. For public responder organizations that feel they need C-Kit training (either first time or a refresher) and are not located near a location planned for a TRANSCAER® training event, contact The Chlorine Institute for help coordinating a C-Kit training session. Individual training sessions will typically be provided by Cl member companies. TRANSCAER® participating organizations conduct training nationwide on hazardous materials emergency response. For more information, refer to the TRANSCAER® website - http://www.transcaer.com/.
The Chlorine Institute also has a video, "How to Use the Chlorine Institute Emergency Kit "C" for Chlorine Tank Cars and Tank Trucks," and an instruction booklet, Chlorine Institute Emergency Kit "C" for Chlorine Tank Cars & Tank Trucks. These training materials are both available via the Cl Web site - www.chlorineinstitute.org - for free to all emergency responders. In addition to specific instruction on the C-Kit, Cl has a general first responders video, "Chlorine Emergencies: An Overview for First Responders," which is provided free to all upon request via email or the Cl website.
Can You Provide More Information about the CHLOREP Program?
The Chlorine Institute has divided the United States and Canada into regional sectors, each with a CHLOREP team from plants that produce, package and consume chlorine. These sectors are arranged primarily along state or provincial boundaries. When a CHLOREP team is dispatched to an incident, it will come from within the region and from the closest team resource (plant or contractor), or the team that can reach the incident fastest. The CHLOREP system is set up to provide technical assistance to first responders. That assistance may be provided by phone or a team sent to the site of the emergency, if the incident commander deems it to be necessary. If a CHLOREP team is dispatched to an incident, it arrives with the appropriate emergency kit to deal with the situation, as well as protective gear to enter a potentially hazardous area. You can learn more about the CHLOREP program by visiting www.chlorineinstitute.org. In the United States, CHLOREP teams are activated through CHEMTREC (Chemical Transportation Emergency Center), www.chemtrec.com, which is administered by the American Chemistry Council. In Canada, CHLOREP assistance can be coordinated through Canutec, www.tc.qc.ca/enq/canutec/menu.htm.
Just The Facts...About The C-Kit
And Why It Is Still The Right Option for Responders
In the last few months, there's been a renewed flurry of misleading and false statements about the Chlorine Institute Emergency Kit "C" (C-Kit) by TGO Technologies, a company currently marketing its own secondary containment product. At this time, there have been no recorded sales of that product.
Emergency responders across the nation, who face real risks every day, deserve to know they can continue to rely on the C-Kit and proven response procedures. Here are the facts:
Fact: The C-Kit is specifically designed for use with standard U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) compliant chlorine tank cars and tank trucks when there is a leak associated with pressure relief devices or valves, the "fittings" atop the railcar or tank truck. Providing devices and tools for use within the housings where valves are located, C-Kits have been used safely and successfully for more than 40 years. The C-Kit was developed to provide tools to responders. The Chlorine Institute has no financial or proprietary interest in the kit.
Fact: Public and private sector emergency response personnel are trained to use C Kits, and The Chlorine Institute provides free training through the TRANSCAER® (Transportation Community Awareness and Emergency Response) program and outreach by its members. More than 5,500 C-Kits are already in the hands of trained U.S. and Canadian emergency responders. This experience and success with the C- Kit confirms it is a proven technology for this important public safety purpose.
MAFF has been notified by The Chlorine Institute that previous information posted may not be accurate. We encourage our members to read and research. Any questions, contact The Chlorine Institute at 703-894-4140
The Chlorine Institute
The Facts About "C"-Kits & Secondary Containment
A Memo to Michigan Firefighters & First Responders
TO: Michigan Firefighters and First Responders
FR: Frank Reiner, President- The Chlorine Institute
RE: The "C"-Kit is The Only Proven Approach to Tank Car Incidents
Firefighters and other first responders deserve the best and most accurate information about the equipment they need to safely and effectively respond to chlorine emergencies involving tank cars and trucks. Working closely with firefighters, railroads and federal regulatory agencies, The Chlorine Institute (CI), has always provided straight information to help ensure the safety of responders and the communities they serve.
A company interested in marketing a secondary containment product, TGO Technologies, Inc., has made statements that question the effectiveness and benefits of the CI "C"- Kit. The following information will help eliminate unnecessary confusion, and Cl includes sources so that all responders can judge the "C"-Kit for themselves.
- The "C"-Kit is specifically designed for dealing with leaks in and around pressure relief devices and angle valves, the "fittings" atop standard U.S. Department of Transportation-compliant tank cars and trucks.
- "C"-Kits have been used safely and successfully for more than 40 years, with more than5,500 kits in the hands of U.S. and Canadian responders.
- The TGO containment product has not received approval for use from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) or the Federal Railroad Administration. Please note PHMSA Administrator Cynthia L. Quarterman's May 6, 2013 letter to Nevada State Senator Moises Denis, which is quoted below. (A pdf of the letter is attached.)
- Thank you for your letter dated April 22, 2013. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) are aware of the ChlorTanker device, which is a secondary containment top fitting protection product proposed by TGO Technologies, Inc. for rail tank cars transporting chlorine gas.
- In response to prior inquiries challenging the safety of the device, both PHMSA and FRA reviewed the ChlorTanker device and concluded that its product design is not approved for use under the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR: 49 CFR Parts 171-180) of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation. We officially informed TGO Technologies of this conclusion last year and also referred TGO Technologies to the official design approval process referenced in our regulations, which requires approval, after review and testing, by the Association of American Railroads Tank Car Committee. To our knowledge, TGO Technologies has not initiated this process. In addition, despite our notification to the contrary, TGO Technologies continues to make public claims that its ChlorTanker design is fully compliant with the HMR, and we continue to receive complaints conveying concerns that TGO Technologies may be making misleading and false claims about the safety of the device.
C-Kit- Rail Tank Cars - Toxic Gas
As a result of a first responders' petition, The Chlorine Institute is now conducting a study comparing The Chlorine Institute "C" Kit to secondary containment.
Chemical companies are now claiming that first responders are always trained:
- That it is always imperative to check the internal pressure of the tank car prior to deploying the C-Kit.
- On the equipment necessary to conduct a pressure test on the car.
- How to conduct a pressure test on the car and what to look for.
- How to distinguish between a properly relieving pressure relief device (PRO) and an improperly relieving pressure relief device.
- Are warned that capping and disabling the PRO could cause the catastrophic failure of the car.
- If the PRO is capped and disabled, regular monitoring of the car's internal pressure must be established.
There are more than 5,000 Chlorine Institute Emergency "C" Kits in the hands of first responders.
Tens of thousands of first responders rely on the instructions contained within The Chlorine Institute Emergency Kit "C" Instruction Booklet for Chlorine Tank Cars and Tank Trucks. The instruction booklet fails to address any of the above claims and provides no such information.
The C-Kit concept requires proper training often of thousands of first responders. The secondary containment concept requires no first response or training.
To post a comment, please go to First Responders' Petition at www.petitionckit.com
