edited by
MALCOLM M. RENFREW University of ldaho MOSCOW, Idaho 83843
Planning a Hazardous Materials Course for Local Firemen and Safety Personnel Robert E. Uhorchak Department of Physical Sciences SUNY Canton Ag and Tech College Canton, New York 13617
Introduction A hazardous materials course specifically designed for local firemen, rescue workers, and safety officials has been initiated by SUNY Canton Agricultural and Technical College as part of an ongoing effort to extend the colleges' services to adult clientele in area communities. This is a brief description by the instructor of the successes and pitfalls and some suggestions that may be of aid to others in developing similar courses.
Further, delivery of the course material should he highly visual with heavy emphasis on the use of models. diaerams. .. . table too demonstration, illmi. mu similv techniqurx. I t must Is rememherrd that these nm.tmdirimal student6 art. 'shuw me.""application oriented" students who are frequently embarking on their first experience with a college course. Many are not a t all hesitant to offer their reactions freely if the instructor becomes too theoretical: it is likelv that few or the lecturer from the premises! In short, the instructor must continually sell the course
Type of Course Initial consideration was given to the type and format of a course that would be mast valuable t o the personnel involved. After considerable discussion and consultation with firelsafety advisory personnel, a "traditional" 3-Carnegie credit hour course was developed and delivered in a "nontraditional" manner. Aside from the required 45 contact hours, there were no prerequisites t o be met by the students: Some of the reasons far this apmoach were: (1) . . the tonic does reouire instruction in certain fundamental. theoretical understwd (e.g., what to do when radioactive materials are involved in a fire); (2) many single-concept non-credit, workshop courses covering the use of equipment are available to the clientele through in-service training programs; (3)a college credit course a t this level can frequently be used by the student as elective course for a degree a t a future date. The delivery mode has been to offer the course a t a central location (e.g., a fire station) three hours per night, one night per week for 15weeks. There is no reason that other time frames could not be used, and there is no reason the course must coincide with ron.. vcnliunal semesters. l'hr krv nmiidemtic n is rcr d f e r thr course at a time and place c o n v m m t for the group being w n w l . ~~~~
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The Instructor The instructor plays a key role in presenting the course and must he aware 01' several unusual factors not normally present in traditional courses. The clientele will he heterogenous with wide ranges in age, life exnerienee. and orevious firemanshin trainmore segments of the class is not alienated ar the course progresses. The clientele do fre. quently have a major commonality-the> have all been to fires and know hazards al various types; if the group is from one communitv. .. it is likelv that all are familiar with rhr samr sntuations. Knoulcdgr of these h> the insrructor L.nn he w r y valuahlc i u enr ~ r h m m rot'therc,ursp. Aka, thric situations can Lead to the development of preplamed procedures for use in handling other potential hazards. A potential pitfall of this approach is that the entire groip can easily diift from analyzing the situation to reminiscing about it, i.e., a classroom bull session. Thus, it is advantageous to havealengthy chat with the firechief(4 of the represented group(s) prior to the inception of the course to sort out the pertinent facts from the glamour. (Continued on page A482)
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Developing the Course A final consideration for the clientele is the need both for initial successes and course continuity. Since many in the class may not have completed high school, or did so many years ago, they areapprehensive about their ability to complete a college level course. A good mechanism to ease concerns is the use of a worksheet1 on individual hazardous materials. A typical sheet would contain blanks for such items as: how to store the material, the physical characteristics and physical constants of the material, chemical properties of the material and what procedures to utilize if there is a fire or disaster involvine this material. The worksheet necessitates the need for each student to hecome familiar with same of the common reference resources on hazardous materials, and worksheets may be done on materials to he discussed in upcoming classes thereby establishing a better familiarity with the subject prior to instruction. This author has found that the students arevery good "literature researchers" after a brief introduction on how and where to search. Further, a t the end of the term each student will have a start on a file of hazardous materials and will be knowledgeable on how to find information on other materials not discussed during the term. There are several textbooks written specifically for a course of this type.%Also, the U.S. Department of Transportation, the National Fire Protection Association, the Glencoe Press, and the Manufacturing Chemists Association each publish guidehooks dealing with specific hazardous chemicals." Many filmslfilmstrips and other helpful materials are available through organizations such as the National Fire Protection Association, the US. National Academy far Fire Prevention and Control, and the US. Energy
partment of Army are sources of dummy explosives and blasting caps. Also, manufaeturing firms of the various types of hazardous materials frequently have samples, films, or brochures regarding their products. Probably the most underutilized and readily available sources of help for instructors are people right in their own backyard.
1 A sample worksheet is available from the author. 2 Meidl, James H., "Flammable Hazardous Materials," Glencoe Press, Beverly Hills, California, 1970. Meidl, James H.. "Explosive and Toxic Hazardous Materials," Glencoe Press Beverly Hills. California,1970. Schieler, Leroy and Pauze', Denis, "Hazardous Materials." Delmar Publishers, Albany, New York, 1976. :I Emergency,ServieesGuide for Selected HazarAnns Materials." Office of the Seeretarv of Transportation, Washington, D.C. 20590. "Fire Protection Guide on Hazardous Materials," 6th Ed., and "Hazardous Chemicals Dat+1975," National Fire Protection Association, Boston, Massachusetts 02210. "Hazardous Materials Handbook," Glencue Press, Beverly Hills. California, 1972. "MCA Chem-Card Manual," Manufscturing Chemists Assmiation, Washington. D.C. 20009. ~
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Public gas utilities as wrll as indrprndrnt dirtritruter. of LP and industrial g a r s usually have a mrat deal of informarw nw~lnhlr regarding iheir products and may have a representative who will speak to the group regarding them. Petroleum distrihuters, port authority personnel, airline, railroad, and trucking firms also are good sources of information regarding the transportation of hazardous products. A local Army Reserve or National Guard unit may have an explosives expert who can he consulted an this topic. And don't forget colleagues hack a t the college-many of whom have worked with and are knowledgeable about specific materials. Finally, the firemen themselves often are aware of a number of specific behaviors of materials they previously have encountered.
Projects A course of this type lends itself especially well to special projects. Models of bulk storage tank facilities, warehouses, and other potential danger sites are excellent projects that can he used far training purposes by fire departments long after the course is over. Compilation of the names and office and home phone numbers of officials a t all the local manufacturing firms would he a very valuable addition to any department. Likewise names and phone numbers of local, state, and national agencies and people to contact regarding specific types of emergeucies is valuable. Field trios for on-site inspection and pre-planning of procedures to use offer another beneficial aid.
Instructor Preparation Potential instructon have an advantage if they possess a background in firefighting and understand the perspectives of the group served. Conventional academic training in chemistry provides a more than adequate background t o understand concepts. This instructor found several, two-day, continuing education courses offered by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers' to be particularly helpful in providing a n in-depth background in hazardous materials. Knawledge and use of different modes of audiovisual presentation and a little humor, however dry or corny, goes along way to keep the group interested and united.
Grading Upon completion of the course an overall grade is given and there undoubtedly will be as many grading schemes as instructors. This instructor required completion of a t least 25 worksheets and administered two formal examinatians-one at the middle and one a t the end of the course. Each exam contained a variety of types of questions (multiple choice, matching, short essay) and all questions pertained to specific, relevant topics which had been emphasized in the units
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covered. Some sample short answer questions were: (1) If a warehouse containing bags of fertilizer is involved in a fire, suggest the proper precautions to take and potential indicators that should prompt immediate evacuation of the area. (2) List the generally accepted steps to take when fighting a liquefied gas fire involving horizontal tanks. (3) The National Fire Protection Association is encouraging the use of s labeling system in which a diamond-shaped sticker containing four informational areas is to be affixed to hazardous material containers. Draw and completely describe the meanings of the colors, numbers, and other symbols typically found on these stickers. (4) Define "flash point" and explain its significance to which method of eatinguishment is most desirable. (5) Gasoline, kerosene, and different grades of fuel oil belong to the hydrocarbon family. What are the characteristics which distinguish these groups from each other and how do these characteristics point to different methods of extinguishment? Finally, "bonus" credit could be earned by completmn of a special project. The final grade was a weighted average grade in which the worksheets (eachofwhich was graded based on thoroughness) were worth 50%. each exam 25% and the s~eeial project lM,. Any regularlyatwndmy studem who a,rnplctes thr worksrner~swill invmnl$!
do well enough on the exams to pass the course with a t least a C grade.
Conclusion Each community setting is somewhat different and allows the instructor flexibility in planning and emphasis of the topics covered. And each group of firemen has different stories to tell. Individual students are as varied as those in traditional courses. Response to the course has been highly favorable and many first-time students are now continuing to expand their background by taking other safety-related collegiate courses. The course is interesting to teach, and satisfaction is gained from knowing that property and lives may be saved by use of knowledge gained by the students in the class.
Acknowledgment The author wishes to thank Professor John
T. Maher, Monroe Community College, Rochester, New York, and Chief Walter Read, Ogdenshurg Fire Department, Ogdensburg, New York, for their valuable help in preparation of a hazardous materials course. The support and assistance of Dr. Robert Fraser and Bryan Felitto of this college are gratefully acknowledged.
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