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Recently, В local law enforcement entities have the community’s safety on their minds В more than ever with September named as National Emergency Preparedness month.
When we think of a community emergency we naturally consider В earthquakes, floods, wildfires; but do you ever wonder what hazardous materials travel through our communities, and if our В emergency crews would be prepared should an accident occur?
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The Carbon County Sheriff’s Office and various other county agencies have been stationed at the Peerless Port of Entry in Price Canyon, observing and documenting what materials travel our local highways. В Jason Llewellyn, Emergency Services Director for Carbon County, said this survey is completed every three to five years.
“This survey is required every five years. We try to have it completed every three to five years, but due to budget constraints, this is the first in seven.”
The purpose of the County Hazardous Materials Traffic Survey is to track, and document what specific materials pass through the county. For one 24-hour period local entities stop every commercial vehicle driver and motor carrier company to enter В port and ask В questions regarding what they are transporting.
If the vehicle is carrying a hazardous material , the following answers are obtained:
-what materials are transported?
– The amount of the material in pounds
-The container in which the material is transported: box trailer, cargo tank, flatbed
– Is the vehicle placarded ( The danger level of hazardous material, represented by a number and a symbol)
– Number of Hazmat training hours received each year
– Is Federal Hazmat Registration current?
After the 24-hour survey results have been obtained, they are submitted to the Local Emergency Planning Commission (LEPC) to reveal what materials would present the most probable threat . Once the county has the results, the information В determines how local Hazmat crews are trained.
“It tells us you have ‘x’ amount of a chemical passing through and this is how often, and how many trucks are carrying it, so we can prepare not only our hazmat team but all of our responders,” Llewellyn said. “It allows us to better prepare so if one of the chemicals does spill we can deal with it a little faster, and a little better.”
Thursday, Carbon County Sheriff’s Department, Hazmat, State Fire Marshall’s Office, and Helper Police were all involved in the process. The team expects to have the results compiled sometime next week, but as Llewellyn said, you can never be too prepared.
“Last night we had over three huge radio-active waste containers pass through.”
Stay tuned to etv10news.com for the results, and more information regarding Emergency Preparedness Month in Carbon and Emery County.
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