When GlobalFoundries opens, the Malta Ridge Volunteer Fire Company will be tasked with responding to any chemical or hazardous material emergencies that may occur at the chip fab. That will be a little easier with a $1,200 fire prevention grant the department received to implement a computer software system to aid in response.
We requested this. We approached FM Global [the property insurance company] and reached out to them for some assistance and they were very kind in helping us out, said Peter Shaw, fire chief.
The fire department will install a Computer-Aided Management of Emergency Operations (CAMEO) System, a series of software applications, that can be used to plan for and respond to hazardous material emergencies.
`When we respond to a call, the computer software will enable us to better identify using information that we get at the scene. We will use our software and hardware to identify what the chemicals are by cross-referencing them to their identification numbers,` said Shaw.
Right now, the department uses a simple approach of hardcover books and phone calls.
`It’s limited what we use [right now]. We use hardcover books at this point and won’t give up our books completely, but it’s an additional tool to help u s with our responses,` said Shaw. `Right now we may have to do it by phone to some place that has a desktop computer or nationwide clearinghouse.`
With the CAMEO System now available to it, the department will be able to pull up that information they used to call out for, right at the scene.
The department will also use CAMEO programs to help with protective equipment responders need to wear or to figure out evacuation protocol.
`If we need to do any evacuations, that information in those programs will help us with evacuation distances and mitigation procedures, first aid procedures, things like that,` said Shaw.
With GlobalFoundries’ arrival, the chance of a call for hazardous materials emergency is increased, said Shaw, but the department does receive a handful of similar calls throughout the year.
`We don’t get a lot of calls for this most of the time they’re due to motor vehicle accidents, there may be a fuel spill every once in awhile or we may get an accident that comes from commercial transport, a tanker truck or box trailer,` said Shaw.
No matter how often one of those calls comes in, though, they’re always taken seriously.
`It’s one of those low frequency, high risk type of calls that we go on,` said Shaw. `We have to concentrate and be prepared for those things ahead of time.`
The department was already working with GlobalFoundries to secure a plan for responding before the grant came through.
`We’re in very frequent pre-planning sessions with [GlobalFoundries] trying to develop some type of interface between their on-site information and information that possibly we can access once we get on site,` said Shaw.
Shaw said GlobalFoundries is developing a way for the fire department to access the company’s internal technical information from off-site.
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