AMU Emergency Management Original Public Safety

EDM Friday Briefing: Six Dead in Hazmat Incident in Georgia

By
hazmat Georgia Arsenault

Emergency and disaster management briefing for January 29, 2021: A burn scar mudslide damaged multiple homes in Monterey County; a liquid nitrogen leak at a chicken processing plant in Georgia killed at least six people; PG&E says power restoration efforts may extend past Friday for Northern California; firefighters face several critical safety issues when addressing electric vehicle fires; FEMA offers guidance to help build and maintain EOCs in accordance with NIMS; the application period is now open for two firefighter grant programs offered through FEMA; actionable emergency plans are the key to an effective response; and the EMI is offering completely virtual cybersecurity tabletop training exercises.

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1. Strong storms from an atmospheric river produced heavy rainfall and caused a debris flow near Salinas, California. The mudflow caused mild to moderate damage to homes in a community near Chualar in Monterey County. Mud several feet deep also covers multiple roadways in the area.

2. A hazmat incident on Thursday at a local chicken processing plant in Georgia killed six people and injured at least nine others — three of whom remain in critical condition. Four of those injured included three Gainesville firefighters, along with one Hall County firefighter. The incident allegedly occurred due to a  liquid nitrogen leak at Prime Pak Foods in Gainesville.

3. Pacific Gas & Electric is working to restore power to its remaining customers impacted by Wednesday’s storm. A total of 575,000 customers originally lost power due to high winds, downed trees and power lines, rain, and snow. The storm produced wind gusts of at least 80 mph on Mount Diablo and Pelato Creek.

4. Challenges to first responders remain on how to fight electric vehicle fires that involve high-voltage, lithium-ion batteries. A report released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in November, revealed three safety risks — thermal runaway, stranded energy, and battery re-ignition. Based on the report, the NTSB released safety recommendations, but calls on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and electric vehicle manufacturers to provide “standardized, vehicle-specific guidance” to further address these and other safety risks.

5. Emergency Operation Centers (EOCs) are established locally to meet the unique needs of each jurisdiction. In accordance with the National Incident Management System (NIMS), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released a toolkit with updated resources to help build and maintain local EOCs. Included in the toolkit are resources to practice building skillset qualifications for organizational positions based on local needs.

6. Two firefighter grant programs offered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are now open for application. These include the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program and the Firefighter Prevention and Safety (FP&S) Grant. Workshops on how to apply for the grants are available on FEMA’s website.

7. Training on emergency plans is critical to ensuring an executable plan that is seamless and actionable. A recent chemical plant explosion outside of Charleston, West Virginia, highlighted issues of the local response plan that was closely followed, but allegedly not practiced. To assist in emergency planning efforts, FEMA offers comprehensive guidance that is available on its website for local, state, tribal, and territorial agencies.

8. The Emergency Management Institute (EMI) is offering completely virtual Cybersecurity Virtual Tabletop Training Exercises (VTTX) in 2021. EMI encourages attendance from organizations in groups of five or more. Organizations interested in participating need to contact EMI’s Integrated Emergency Management Branch at least two weeks prior to the training.

 

Kimberly Arsenault serves as an intern at the Cleveland/Bradley County Emergency Management Agency where she works on plan revisions and special projects. Previously, Kimberly spent 15 years in commercial and business aviation. Her positions included station manager at the former Midwest Express Airlines, as well as corporate flight attendant, inflight manager, and charter flight coordinator. Kimberly currently holds a master's degree in emergency and disaster management from American Public University.

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