CSEPP approves chemical monitors purchase

This story was published Thu, May 3, 2001

By Mary Hopkin
Herald Oregon bureau

IRRIGON - The ability to detect chemical agent almost is within grasp for area firefighters and emergency medical technicians.

The Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program governing board unanimously approved the purchase of 11 new hand-held chemical agent monitors Wednesday.

The monitors, which will cost about $17,000 apiece, aren't a luxury for the CSEPP program, they are a necessity, said Hermiston Fire Chief Jim Stearns.

If a serious chemical accident happened today at the Umatilla Chemical Depot, area firefighters and emergency medical technicians wouldn't be able to help.

Not because they don't want to, but because the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration rules make it nearly impossible without the hand-held monitors. If a spill happened and emergency responders called to the scene couldn't test if there was nerve agent floating in the air, they would have to don Class A protective gear - the large, white "moon" suits.

But when area firefighters and emergency medical technicians tested the suits, they discovered the suits were too bulky to work in.

That left a Catch-22 situation. Area firefighters have no way to monitor the air off base, and the emergency protective equipment they would be required to wear made doing their jobs impossible.

"Right now, there are no services available for immediate response," said Bob Flourney, a governing board member who represents the public. "If something happened, first responders could not go out. And that's no joke, friends."

The new equipment will allow firefighters and emergency medical technicians to set up and man decontamination stations if an accident happens. The monitors also can be used to determine if someone needs to be decontaminated, Stearns said.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency approved the $187,000 needed to purchase the hand-held monitors, and the units will be ordered as soon as possible, said Commander Bev Venell, CSEPP manager.

But the new monitors are not a cure-all solution, Stearns warned.

Emergency managers will need additional monitors to warn them in case wind direction changes during a chemical event.

Morrow County now is testing a mobile monitoring unit that could be attached to a vehicle, allowing workers to place the monitor between the depot and decontamination site. If the wind starts blowing in the direction of a decontamination site, it would give workers time to get out of the danger zone.

The European-made units are used heavily in the Middle East, said Casey Beard, Morrow County's emergency operations manager.

The mobile monitors cost $42,000 to $52,000 each, he added.

 

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