MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE BARSTOW, Calif. -- MCLB Barstow sits between two major interstates, 15 and 40, and with the number of traffic accidents these highways experience annually there's always the possibility that a major accident involving a truck hauling chemicals exist.
Aware of this possibility, emergency response teams such as MCLB's Fire and Emergency Services Division must be well trained to identify the types of hazardous material spilled and assist local authorities under a mutual aid agreement with preventing a possible disaster.
Recently, personnel with the Fire and Emergency Services Division, and a few other specialists received their annual hazmat technician and specialists refresher training from one of the nation's leading authorities in that arena.
Dr. H. Dieter Heinz, of Heinz Training and Counseling Inc. out of Atascadero, Calif., a professor of chemistry and one of the leading research chemists today, provided a 24-hour refresher course focusing on chemicals.
With more than 40 years of experience in the field, Heinz said that it's important that the safety of the emergency responder be given top priority.
"It starts with being able to recognize and identify the chemical involved which pose a specific hazard to the responders," he said. "That's what this is all about."
The course is "exclusively" designed for emergency responders to help and assist them identify chemicals without specialized equipment, Heinz explained.
"How does it work? What are their limitations and what will they detect? What will they not detect?" he said. "There is not a single instrument out which gives them all the information. Which one are you going to use? Well, obviously you have to use multiple detection devices to determine whether this is a safe environment to function."
Heinz began his teaching career at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, as a chemistry professor. In 1989 he focused his efforts on curriculum development for hazardous material and has put together courses for federal and state agencies, such as the Department of Defense, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other safety and emergency management organizations.
"Most of my classes are 80 hours," he said. "I have a 24- and a 40-hour course. They've (the current class) all had a minimum of 160 hours, which I provided for them."
Referring to the MCLB crew's current training, Heinz revealed that this is annual refresher training as mandated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
During his classes, Heinz stresses an acronym he says has become recognized around the globe; it's called RICH, which stands for recognize, identify chemicals and the hazard.
The focus of this training is based on this concept, according to Mel Bracey, hazmat technician and specialist for Environmental Division.
Another concept taught during the class was the five-step Field Identification Method, which Heinz developed and authored. It is a method responders can use to quickly identify unknown liquid and solid hazardous chemicals, according to his Web site, www.heinztraining.com.
"The method is a process of elimination for unknown liquids and solids and there are several tests involved," said Assistant Chief Dennis Moore, Public Safety Department, Fire and Emergency Services Division.
Using the five-step method flow chart, Moore explained the different test involved for unknown liquids and solids. Under Unknown Liquids Moore revealed that among the steps are included a volatility test and a water behavior test, which would ask if the unknown is a floater, a sinker or a swimmer.
"The dividing factor, under this test is the pH test," said Moore. "We?ll test to see if the unknown liquid is acidic, neutral or alkaline."
Once you've performed these steps and have basically identified the unknown, you stop there's no need to continue with the process, he said.
"With the unknown solids you're testing for thermal stability, and there's also a water behavior test for this: is the solid completely dissolved or only dissolved some?" said Moore.
There's also a pH test involved with identifying unknown solids, but the dividing factor in this process is the oxidizer test. In these steps there is testing for nitrate, chloride, cyanide and so on.
The method is more involved than what has been briefly described thus far, but there is so much to know and learn about the process that it is mind-boggling though emergency responders use it each time they're called upon.
Moore has been teaching the hazmat course on base for about 12 years and is still very enthusiastic about the information he teaches and the information he learns each time Heinz comes aboard for the classes.
"He teaches me something new every time he comes up. This time it was his acronym RICH, which I'll start using in my classes," said Moore. "This training has been great; it was a fantastic class and I'm trying to get him back soon for another class."
When asked about his thoughts on the class, Mel Bracey said, "What we learned last year in two weeks, Dr. Heinz broke it down in two days. You may not understand completely what all of it is, but you'll understand what the hazards are."
Toward the end of the training, Heinz performed a simple demonstration to show what common household chemicals are capable of if combined by accident. The results of these simple tests range from a small fire in one demonstration, to a small explosion and full blaze in the next, proving that everyday consumer products pose a threat to the environment.