GATEKEEPER NEWSLETTER

March 1, 2006
Volume VI, Edition 03

Arizona Emergency Response Commission
5636 East McDowell Road
Phoenix, Arizona 85008-3495
Janet Napolitano, Governor
http://www.governor.state.az.us/

Frank F. Navarrete, Director
Lou Trammell, Dep. Dir.
http://www.dem.state.az.us/

Daniel Roe, Executive Director
http://www.dem.state.az.us/azserc/
Special Interest Articles:
• EPA Announces New
Reporting Violations Page
• CSB Issues Report on
Incident Screening Process
• Reminder from Arizona’s
Local Emergency Planning
Committees, Fire
Departments and the
Arizona Emergency
Response Commission
• Fire Grants
• Congress Approves New
Spectrum for Public Safety
• TRI-ME Tutorial
• EPA Updates
• Update on TSCA Reporting
• Upcoming Deadlines
• Shorts
• Upcoming Events
• Q & A from IS-800
Individual Highlights:
Industry Corner

2

DOT Corner

4

Tribal Corner

5

LEPC Corner

7

EPA Corner

12

EPA Announces New Reporting
Violations Page:
From EPA: "Americans must be
able to trust and rely on EPA to
protect the land, air and water,
and EPA is committed to
obtaining the support and
assistance of citizens and
communities throughout the
nation. Over the past 35 years,
EPA has changed the way each
individual looks at how his or her
own personal actions can make
an impact. Most importantly, the
citizens of this nation are seeing
themselves as the custodians of
their environment and have
become conscious of actions that
put the health and welfare of
their communities at risk.
EPA invites you to be a part of
this work and invites you to tell
them about environmental
problems. Assuring compliance
with our nation’s environmental
laws is one of EPA's primary
commitments. In carrying out
this responsibility EPA uses
many different approaches. One
of them is to seek help from
citizens by asking them to
provide information about

potentially harmful
environmental activities in
their communities and in their
workplaces. This has led to
state and federal enforcement
cases and has ultimately
served environmental
protection well.

EPA's work. You can view
this by visiting
www.epa.gov/compliance/com
plaints/index.html

EPA believes this is only a
beginning. They will also be
working to improve current
processes for routing and
In conjunction with the
tracking citizen tips as they
celebration of the 35th
come in, and enhancing efforts
Anniversary of EPA, the
to inform the public of EPA's
Office of Enforcement and
interest in receiving informaCompliance Assurance
tion about possible environ(OECA) staff has been
mental violations. They will
developing a new look for their include this invitation at the
home page, where a new badge end of all OECA press
button now invites the public
releases.
to report possible environmental violations or crimes.
Report an environmental
More than a million people a
violation at:
month who visit the Agency’s http://www.epa.gov/complianc
home page will have the
e/complaints/index.html
opportunity to help OECA
protect public health and the
(Granta Y. Nakayama,
environment by sharing any
Assistant Administrator, Office
problems they see in their
of Enforcement and
communities.
Compliance Assurance)
The website makes it possible
for citizens to be a part of

GATEKEEPER NEWSLETTER

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CSB Issues Report on Incident Screening Process:
The U.S. Chemical Safety and
Hazard Investigation Board
(CSB) recently issued a report to
Congress concerning its incident
screening process, noting that the
agency screened a total of 645
U.S. chemical incidents during
the twelve-month period from
July 1, 2004, to June 30, 2005.
The full reports available at
www.CSB.gov
The report was developed to
explain the difference between
the number of chemical incidents
that fall within CSB's statutory
investigative jurisdiction and the
number actually investigated.
The report describes the CSB's
scoring system which is used to
help to evaluate the hundreds of

incidents that occur each year and
determine which ones warrant
deployment of investigators. Each
incident is scored by evaluating
factors such as injuries/fatalities,
public evacuation, ecosystem
damage, potential for consequences,
learning potential, property losses,
public concern, and the history of the
company.
During the period covered by the
report, the agency deployed
investigators to incident scenes seven
times, resulting in five significant
investigations. The majority of the
645 incidents were relatively
inconsequential, but the report also
lists some serious incidents for which
the Board considered a deployment,
but did not act due to resource

constraints.
The CSB receives information
about incidents from a variety of
sources, including media reports,
the National Response Center, and
the National Transportation Safety
Board. As the report notes, the
incidents in the screening database
do not comprise an exhaustive list
of all the chemical incidents that
occurred in the country during the
year.
For more information, contact
Public Affairs Specialist Kara
Wenzel at (202) 261-7642 /
(202) 577-8448 cell or Director of
Public Affairs Dr. Daniel Horowitz
at (202) 261-7613 / (202) 441-6074
cell.

CSB Extends Comment Period:
The U.S. Chemical Safety and
Hazard Investigation Board
(CSB) published a Federal
Register notice soliciting
comments on the proposed rule

entitled, "Accident Investigation
Initiation Notice and Order to
Preserve Evidence." The comment
period has been extended. Written
comments now must be received on

or before March 6, 2006. You can
visit the Legal Affairs section of
www.CSB.gov for more information on the rule and how to
comment.

Chemicals Policy:
Industrial chemicals are an
important part of the modern
economy: they are traded
extensively across the world and
they are critical components of
everyday products. However,
many chemicals have hazardous
properties - they can be toxic to
ecosystems, cause harm to
human health or build up in the

environment and our bodies for
decades without breaking down.
To identify and control these
hazards, it is necessary to
manage the ways in which
chemicals are used and sold into
commerce.

Sustainable Production (LCSP),
has designed this site to provide
an outline of chemicals management efforts around the world, as
well as other information and
links that are relevant to chemicals policy.

The Chemicals Policy Initiative,
a project of the Lowell Center for

http://www.chemicalspolicy.org

Something to Consider:
A chemical plant was recently
idled by an electrical outage that
resulted in releases of toxic
vapors. The plant had a backup
power system, but it didn't work
for reasons that were not

immediately known. (See..."stuff"
happens!)
As a result of the shutdown of the
plant's polystyrene production,
10,000 pounds of emissions laced
with the toxic chemical styrene

were released into the
atmosphere. Air quality testing
determined that the amount of
vapor released did not present a
health risk to workers or the
community. There were no
injuries in the incident.

GATEKEEPER NEWSLETTER

Page 3 of 20

CSB Safety Bulletin:
Acetylene gas producers are
warned by the Chemical Safety
Board to take special precautions
in handling acetylene. The CSB
has also issued and posted on its
web site, www.CSB.gov, a Video
Safety Bulletin on the incident
that resulted in the warning being
made.

workers in those procedures, and to
have effective measures in place to
prevent the backflow of flammable
gases. The CSB is urging acetylene
producers and handlers to review the
Safety Bulletin and examine their
systems and safety procedures to
prevent this kind of accident from
occurring again.

CSB investigators found that a
combination of factors resulted in
acetylene flowing backward from
the company's acetylene
production generator through
water pipes and out of an open
drain valve into a shed. The
highly-explosive gas built up to a
dangerous level and likely was
ignited when it reached the hot
surface of the shed's propane
space heater. Three workers
were killed in a powerful blast,
and a fourth worker was
seriously injured.

The CSB Safety Bulletin also urges
operators to use checklists; relocate
vents to safe, outside locations; test
critical valves and ensure that
enclosures, such as sheds that contain
hazardous materials, meet national
fire code standards.

CSB points out how important it
is to have comprehensive
operating procedures, to train

International, Inc., the manufacturer
of the check valve, was urged to
inform other customers about the
ASCO incident, recommend actions
to ensure the valves are working
safely, and to replace check valves in
service with ones that will operate
more reliably. The CSB
recommended that OSHA remove
obsolete information from its
Acetylene Standard (29 CFR
1910.102), and update it.
The CSB is an independent federal
agency charged with investigating
industrial chemical accidents.
For more information, contact:

In addition, the Board issued formal
recommendations to the companies
involved and to the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA).
The CSB recommended ASCO
implement an effective Process
Safety Management program and
include written checklists that are
understood by workers; Rexarc

Sandy Gilmour, 202-261-7614 or cell
202-251-5496; Public Affairs
Specialist Lindsey Heyl, 202-2613614 or cell 202-725-2204; Public
Affairs Specialist Kara Wenzel, 202261-7642, cell 202-577-8448; or
Director of Public Affairs
Dr. Daniel Horowitz, 202-261-7613
or cell 202-441-6074.

Accident Prevention Tools- OHIO Website:
Check out
http://www.epa.state.oh.us/dapc/
atu/112%28r%29/comptool.html

Some excellent information from
the Ohio EPA, Division of Air
Pollution. Be sure to scrutinize that

which is Ohio specific versus
federal.

Reminder from Arizona’s Local Emergency Planning
Committees, Fire Departments and the Arizona Emergency
Response Commission
Dear Facility Owner/Operator,
This is to notify you that your
annual Tier Two Emergency and
Hazardous Chemical Inventory
Report for calendar year 2005
WAS due by March 1, 2006.
Also, if you are required to
submit a Toxic Chemical
Inventory Report (Form R), it is
due by July 1, 2006.

We encourage you to file
electronically with the Arizona
State Emergency Response
Commission at
http://www.AZSERC.org . The
Tier Two form and instructions on
the website (which can be obtained
online at www.AZSERC.org )
clearly indicate who must receive
copies and who accepts electronic
reporting. If your facility does not
have Internet access and would like

a hard copy of instructions and
forms, please contact your LEPC
or the Commission.
If your facility is required to
submit an Emergency Response
Plan, we encourage you to
submit an electronic copy to the
AZSERC, as well as to the LEPC
and fire department after
confirming that they will accept
electronic copies of your plan.

Tier
Two
Due –
March
1, 2006

Page 4 of 20

GATEKEEPER NEWSLETTER

Two Phoenix Companies Pay Combined $247,770 to
Settle Dust Violations:
Contact: Wendy L. Chavez, (415) 9474248, chavez.wendy@epa.gov
The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency recently settled with Edward
Kraemer & Sons, Inc for $190,000 and
Meritage Homes of Arizona for $57,770
for alleged dust violations that occurred at
construction sites in Maricopa County.

Kraemer & Sons, Inc. failed to comply with
Maricopa County rules during earth moving
and dust generating operations at four large
roadway construction projects in Phoenix.
Maricopa County inspectors discovered 17
counts of the following violations:

• failure to use a suitable control device to
remove dirt from vehicle tires exiting
construction sites,
• failure to immediately clean up dirt tracked
“Maricopa County's particulate air
out 50 feet beyond the site,
pollution continues to be a serious
problem,” said Deborah Jordan, the EPA’s • failure to water down disturbed surface
areas while conducting earth moving
Air Division director for the Pacific
Southwest region. “Noncompliance with operations, and
the fugitive dust control laws is one of the • failure to implement approved control
measures while conducting a dust
causes of particulate pollution, and our
enforcement actions send the message that generating activity.
noncompliance will not be tolerated.”
Meritage Homes of Arizona failed to
“These penalties are an appropriate
comply with dust rules at a residential
deterrent to non-compliance,” said Robert construction projects in Phoenix and
Kard, director of the Maricopa County Air Surprise, Ariz. During three separate
Quality Department. “We have zero
inspections in 2004, Maricopa County
tolerance for violations when we have
inspectors discovered that the company had:
such a huge particulate pollution problem
• failed to apply water during earth moving
here in the Valley.”
operations,
• failed to install a suitable trackout control
U.S. Attorney Paul K. Charlton stated,
“The resolution in this case is a step in the device, and
right direction in improving the air quality • failed to apply water during weed
abatement.
in Maricopa County and our quality of
life.”
In May, the EPA also settled with Pulice
From May 2003 to January 2005, Edward Construction for $53,000 for allegedly

failing to use a suitable control device
to remove dirt from vehicle tires exiting
construction sites, and failing to
immediately clean up dirt tracked out
50 feet beyond the site.
Maricopa County exceeds the national
health standard for PM-10. The EPA
has classified the county as a serious
non-attainment area for particulate
matter. Under the federal Clean Air Act,
areas failing to meet air quality
standards must adopt control measures
to reduce dust and soot in the air. The
dust control measures are part of the
state's clean air plan.
One of the primary causes of particulate
pollution in the Phoenix area is wind
blown dust from construction and home
development sites, highway
construction, sand and gravel facilities,
unpaved parking lots and roads,
disturbed vacant lands, agricultural
fields, and other stationary sources.
Particulate matter, including dust,
affects the respiratory system and can
cause damage to lung tissue and
premature death. The elderly, children
and people with chronic lung disease,
influenza, or asthma are especially
sensitive to high levels of particulate
matter.

A Difference of Opinion- DOT Transport of HAZMAT
AZSERC received an email with a
question that we're restating here.
We're coordinating a response for the
individual that asked the question;
however, it looks like a topic that may
have other inputs...so we're interested
in yours! E-Mail me directly at
Dan.Roe@azdema.gov with your
thoughts and sources.
"I have a question that maybe you can
address in an issue of the newsletter. I
have a different opinion than what our

consultant has to say. The question
concerns the transportation of hazardous
materials (not in commerce) that are used to
perform company work. I believe the DOT
Materials of Trade Exception (49 CFR
173.6) limits apply:
*66 pounds or 8 gallons of Flammable
(Class 3), Combustible (Class 3), Corrosive
(Class 8), Poison (Class 6.1), Oxidizer
(Class 5.1 and 5.2), Miscellaneous
hazardous materials (Class 9), and ORM-D.
*400 gallons for a diluted mixture not
exceeding 2 percent concentration of a Class
9 material (misc. hazardous materials)

*220 pounds in a compressed gas
cylinder containing flammable (Class
2.1) or nonflammable, nontoxic gas
(Class 2.2) or 70 gallon capacity
permanently mounted tank containing
non-liquefied nonflammable, nontoxic
gas (Class 2.2).
*Total gross weight of all hazardous
materials may not exceed 440 pounds.
The consultant believes less than 1,000
lbs and not more than 110 gallons
applies (ARS 28-5201(6)(b)) and 285204(E)."

GATEKEEPER NEWSLETTER

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US Stiffens Penalties for HAZMAT Transport Violations:
Source :( USA) Federal Register:
February 17, 2006;
DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION; Pipeline
and Hazardous Materials Safety
Administration 49 CFR Parts 107
and 171
Hazardous Materials: Revisions to
Civil and Criminal Penalties;
Penalty Guidelines
SUMMARY: The Pipeline and
Hazardous Materials Safety
Administration is revising its
regulations to reflect revisions to
the civil and criminal penalties in
the Hazardous Materials Safety and
Security Reauthorization Act (Title
VII of the Safe, Accountable,
Flexible, Efficient Transportation
Equity Act: A Legacy for Users),
enacted on August 10, 2005. They
are also revising baseline assessments for violations related to
training and security plans and
making editorial changes in our
List of Frequently Cited Violations
in our Guidelines for Civil
Penalties. They publish Guidelines
for Civil Penalties in order to
provide the regulated community
and the general public with
information on the hazardous
material penalty assessment
process.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This rule is
effective February 17, 2006.
SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION:
I. Civil and Criminal Penalties
On August 10, 2005, the President
signed the Safe, Accountable,
Flexible, Efficient Transportation
Equity Act: A Legacy for Users
(SAFETEA-LU), Public Law 10959, 119 Stat. 1144. Title VII of
SAFETEA-LU--the Hazardous
Materials Safety and Security
Reauthorization Act of 2005-revised the maximum and
minimum civil penalties, and the
maximum criminal penalty, for
violations of Federal hazardous
materials transportation law
(Federal hazmat law; 49 U.S.C.
5101 et seq.) or a regulation, order,
special permit, or approval issued
under Federal hazmat law
(including 49 CFR subtitle B,
Chapter I, subchapters A and C).
The Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety Administration
(PHMSA) is revising references in
regulations to the maximum and
minimum civil penalties, and the
maximum criminal penalties, to
reflect the following statutory
changes:
--The maximum civil penalty was

increased from $32,500 to $50,000
for a knowing violation and to
$100,000 if the violation results in
death, serious illness or severe
injury to any person, or substantial
destruction of property.
--The minimum civil penalty has
reverted from $275 to $250, except
a minimum civil penalty of $450
applies to a violation related to
training.
--Criminal penalties now apply to
both reckless and willful violations
(as well to as a knowing violation
of the prohibition in 49 U.S.C.
5104(b) against tampering with a
marking, label, placard, or
description on a shipping
document) of Federal hazardous
material transportation law or the
regulations, orders, special permits,
and approvals issued there under.
--The maximum criminal penalty of
5 years imprisonment and a fine in
accordance with Title 18 of the
United States Code ($250,000 for
an individual, $500,000 for a
corporation) was retained, except
the maximum time of imprisonment has been increased to 10 years
in any case in which the violation
involves the release of a hazardous
material which results in death or
bodily injury to a person.

Fire Grants:

Tribal
Program
Link:
http://www
.epa.gov/re
gion09/indi
an

Tribes are eligible recipients of the
federal Department of Homeland
Security’s Assistance to Firefighter
Grants. The 2006 grant application
period will probably begin in early
March, and workshops have and
are being held in CA, AZ, and NV.
If you are interested in attending
one of these workshops, check out
the workshop schedule at
www.firegrantsupport.com . You
do not have to attend one of these
workshops in order to apply; they
are purely informational. If you
cannot attend a workshop but are
interested in applying for the grant,

you can check out the online
tutorial. Several tribes received
AFG grants this past fiscal year, so
it’s for real!
Note: California, Arizona and
Hawaii applicants are reminded to
break out their sale tax in the
request details section of the
application. NFIRS reporting is not
required to apply but is a condition
of accepting a grant. Complying
may cost you money but may be
recoverable in the grant. See the
Program Guidance.
Visit

http://www.firegrantsupport.com
Subscribe to the AFG Newsletter
Douglas Woods & Rose Johnson
DHS Regional Fire Program
Specialists Assistance to
Firefighters Grant Program
Office of Grants and Training
Preparedness Directorate
U.S. Department of Homeland
Security for AZ, CA, NV, HI and
the Pacific 510-627-7208 in
Oakland, CA
(Thanks to Anne Wilson for
ensuring this information is
shared.)

GATEKEEPER NEWSLETTER

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Navajo Tribal Utility Authority To Improve Wastewater
Treatment at Two Plants:
Contact: Wendy L. Chavez, (415)
947-4248, chavez.wendy@epa.gov

when part of a levee broke,
releasing partially treated sewage
that flowed into the Moenkopi
The U.S. Environmental Protection Wash. Since then, the Navajo
Agency and the Navajo Tribal
Tribal Utility Authority has
Utility Authority have agreed on
repaired the levee. The Window
actions the utility will take to
Rock Wastewater Treatment
comply with wastewater discharge, Plant discharges its effluent to
Black Creek, a tributary to Puerco
monitoring and maintenance
regulations at its Window Rock and River, and the Tuba City plant
discharges its effluent to Moenkopi
Tuba City Wastewater Treatment
Wash. Both are tributaries to the
Plants on the Navajo Nation.
Little Colorado River.
As early as January 2000, NTUA
Pollutant discharge permits contain
violated its pollutant discharge
limits on discharges, monitoring
permits by exceeding the effluent
limitations for biochemical oxygen and reporting requirements, and
other provisions to ensure that
demand, total suspended solids,
water quality and human health are
fecal coliform and/or E. coli, and
protected. “Permit limits are
residual chlorine. Both facilities
designed to prevent wastewater
also failed to report monitoring
discharges from polluting nearby
data, reported it incorrectly, or
submitted illegible reports. In
water bodies and harming drinking
addition, on July 19, a discharge
water resources and habitat,” said
occurred at the Tuba City facility
Alexis Strauss, director of the

EPA's Water Division for the
Pacific Southwest region. “We
are confident the Tribal
Authority will promptly make the
needed corrections to bring these
plants into Clean Water Act
compliance.”
The orders require the Navajo
Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA)
to meet permit limits by the end
of the year for the Tuba City
plant and by July 2007 for the
Window Rock facility. By
March 31, the NTUA will
develop plans to improve the
wastewater treatment operations
at the facilities.
For more information on
wastewater discharge permits,
visit:
http://www.epa.gov/region9/wate
r/npdes/index.html

Mitigation Planning- A Reminder From DHS/FEMA:
Have you heard about mitigation
plans but don't know what they
are or how to do one? Having a
mitigation plan is important,
because it will allow you to
receive FEMA financial recovery
assistance after a nationallydeclared disaster. As of May 1
of last year, if a state or tribe
doesn't have a mitigation plan
and is declared in a national
disaster, it is not eligible for most
forms of financial recovery
assistance from FEMA.
FEMA’s training branch, the
Emergency Management
Institute (EMI), will be holding a
week-long course at its campus
near Washington, DC April 1013 called “Mitigation for Tribal
Officials.” This course will
explain what mitigation is, how
to develop a plan, and how to

apply for a grant to develop a plan.
It will also discuss the National
Flood Insurance Plan (NFIP). The
course and lodging are free for
tribal members, and your flights
will be reimbursed. EMI also
provides free transportation from
any of the 3 DC-area airports to
and from EMI. The only cost
you'd have to cover is a $90 meal
ticket for the week.

447-1658 not later than
February 20, 2006.
If you have any questions about the
course, who should attend, or how to
apply, please contact Dawn
Warehime at (301) 447-1309 or by
email at dawn.warehime@dhs.gov .

Also: Let this communication
introduce Matt Bradley, who is the
new Region IX HazMat Program
If you are interested, just fill out the Specialist. For those of you who
attached FEMA form 75-5 (FEMA worked with Todd Smith when he
General Admissions Application)
was in that position, Matt has filled
with the course code and title:
Todd’s old position. Matt will be
E344, Mitigation for Tribal
filling in for Anne Wilson as NIMS
Officials. The date: April 10-13,
Program Manager and Tribal Liaison
2006. Under jurisdiction (14a)
when she goes on maternity leave for
check the box that says “special
a few months starting March 6. Matt
district.” Under Approvals (22 and served with the Louisiana State
23), get a signature from the
Police (he was their Environmental
appropriate tribal leader (it does not Hazard Program Officer) and is
go through the State). Then fax the looking forward to the liaison work.
form to NETC Admissions at (301) (Thanks to Anne Wilson)

GATEKEEPER NEWSLETTER

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Congress Approves New Spectrum for Public Safety
Congress has passed legislation
to set a firm date for making vital
spectrum in the 700 MHZ band
available to public safety; the
president is expected to sign it
into law. "This victory is a direct
result of the active and persistent
involvement of IAFC member
fire chiefs calling, writing and
visiting with their members of
Congress over the past three and
more years," said IAFC President
Chief Bill Killen. "Thank you for
your active participation on this
important issue."
The legislation (S. 1932, the
Deficit Reduction Omnibus
Reconciliation Act of 2005) will:
Require television broadcasters
to vacate channels 63, 64, 68 and
69 by February 17, 2009. These
channels will then be dedicated
for exclusive use by public safety
agencies. The channels are in the
upper 700 MHz band and near
the lower 800 MHz band where
public safety is being relocated
as part of the Consensus Plan
rebanding effort currently
underway. This new 24 MHz is

NOTE: Are
you having
trouble with
any of the
links?
Please let us
know at
azserc@azd
ema.gov .

equal to the entire public safety
spectrum currently available
across 10 frequency bands.

expand communications
capabilities to data and other
wideband applications.

Essentially, this new law doubles
the current spectrum available to
public safety.

Funding to replace legacy
communications systems with
radio equipment manufactured
today that can easily transition
between 800/700 MHz
frequencies

Requires the FCC to auction the
spectrum not dedicated to public
safety by January 28, 2008. The
first $7.363 billion raised from
the auction shall be sent to the
U.S. Treasury. Revenue in excess
of that amount may become
available for several purposes
including:
Establishment of a $1 billion
grant fund for public safety
interoperable communications
$156 million for public warning
systems $43.5 million to assist
E911 programs.
The legislation offers
opportunities for fire chiefs:
New spectrum in the 700MHz
band to increase capacity where
no additional spectrum is
currently available the ability to

A date certain-February 17,
2009-for chiefs and other local
government leaders to begin the
planning process to upgrade or
replace existing radio systems.
The ability to more easily plan
for interoperable systems.
The IAFC has been part of a very
active coalition involving the
Association of Public-Safety
Communications Officials, the
Congressional Fire Services
Institute, the International
Association of Chiefs of Police,
the National Sheriffs'
Association, the National League
of Cities and the National
Association of Counties.

CBRNE Advanced Training Opportunity:
The US Army Medical Research
Institute of Chemical Defense
(USAMRICD), the US Army
Medical Research Institute of
Infectious Diseases
(USAMRIID), and the Armed
Forces Radiobiology Research
Institute (AFRRI) have
announced an advanced-level
education opportunity - the
Hospital Management of
Chemical, Biological,

Radiological/Nuclear, and
Explosive Incidents Course (HMCBRNE).
HM-CBRNE is an accredited fiveday interactive course specifically
designed to inform and educate
military and civilian hospital-based
professionals in the planning and
management of mass casualty
incidents and terrorism
preparedness. The course offers

classroom instruction, multi-station
demonstrations, and tabletop
exercises that focus on diagnosis,
treatment, decontamination, and
incident emergency management in
response to mass-casualty events of
all types.
Visit http://ccc.apgea.army.mil
Questions? Contact:
Chemical Casualty Care Division
CCC@apg.amedd.army.mil

GATEKEEPER NEWSLETTER

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Fire Departments Encouraged to Join Fire Corps:
During December of 2004, Fire
Corps was kicked off. It was the
newest Citizen Corps initiative
and a partnership between the
National Volunteer Fire Council,
the International Association of
Fire Chiefs' Volunteer
Combination & Officers Section
and the International Association
of Fire Fighters.

keenly aware of people with a
strong desire to serve their
communities and contribute their
time and skills to support homeland
security, and in particular their
local firefighters," Chief R. David
Paulison, U.S. Fire Administrator
said. "When firefighters can stand
side by side with citizens in
promoting fire prevention and
general safety efforts, and are able
to invite citizens to assist with nonemergency responsibilities, the
overall security and safety of their
community is greatly enhanced."

*Marketing Materials
*By-Laws
*Standard Operating Procedures
*Training Procedures
*Citizen Application & Waiver
*Citizen Handbook

Departments can also find
additional resources available for
download, including an
informational Fire Corps
PowerPoint, brochure, and
Fire Corps is an exciting new
application to request use of the
program that's ultimate goal is to
Fire Corps logo. For more
support and supplement
information on Fire Corps, or if
volunteer, combination, and
you have a great resource you
career fire departments through
would like to share with others,
Fire and EMS departments
the use of citizen advocates for
please contact Fire Corps at
non-operational related activities. nationwide now have access to a
host of new and valuable resources info@firecorps.org . or go online at
These include fund raising, life
available on the Fire Corps web site www.firecorps.org
safety education, bookkeeping,
(Thanks to Frank Livingston, EFO,
at
and many more. The citizens
advocates help relieve the burden http://www.firecorps.org/fireDepart TOP ASSISTANT
122 Bluff Circle
of these tasks from the front line ments/resources.cfm . These
resources are designed to assist fire Waynesville, MO 65583
providers and allowing them to
573 774-3473 (FIRE)
and EMS departments in
concentrate more on their front
573 528-9278 Cell
implementing or maintaining an
line duties.
flivingston@webound.com
existing Fire Corps program and
"Across this nation, we are
include sample documents such as:

Isolation and Quarantine:
"Isolation and Quarantine: Issues
to Consider" is a guidance
document that provides a
checklist to help public health
jurisdictions identify the essential
aspects of a plan for isolation and
quarantine implementation. The
checklist outlines important areas
to consider when creating a plan,
such as:

*
*
*
*
*

legal issues;
implementation of the plan;
ongoing surveillance;
social support; and,
risk communication.

This document was created by the
NACCHO Bioterrorism and
Emergency Preparedness
Committee. See:

http://www.naccho.org/toolbox/Issues
%20to%20Consider%20Isolation%20
Quarantine.pdf
(Thanks to Gregory T. Banner, M.S.,
C.E.M., Regional Emergency
Coordinator, Region I – New
England, US Dept of Health and
Human Services)

Public Health Exercise Database:
Visit a RAND Corporation
website designed to support state
and local public health
emergency preparedness
activities. The core of this
website is a searchable database
of public health emergency
preparedness exercises that have
been evaluated by a team of

RAND researchers and is available
to public health professionals in
search of exercises that may serve
their purposes in working toward
preparedness in their own state,
regional, or local area. In addition
to the database, links to other web
resources including the Association
of Professionals in Infection
Control and Epidemiology are

provided. See:
http://www.rand.org/health/projects/php
/index.html
Point of contact is: Lisa R. Shugarman,
Ph.D., Health Policy Researcher,
RAND,
Phone: 310-393-0411 x.7701
Email: Lisa_Shugarman@rand.org
(Info provided by Dr. John Shaw. CT
MMRS.)

GATEKEEPER NEWSLETTER

Page 9 of 20

READY KIDS:
Ready is a national public service
advertising campaign created by the
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
in partnership with The Advertising
Council, which is designed to educate
and empower Americans to prepare for
and respond to emergencies including
natural disasters and potential terrorist
attacks. Homeland Security encourages
families to prepare for emergencies
through Ready. They are regularly asked
by parents and teachers if there is
information appropriate to share with
children. In response to these requests,
the U.S. Department of Homeland
Security and The Advertising Council
have created Ready Kids, a familyfriendly extension of the Ready
campaign.

preparedness and response.
In addition to the website, Homeland
Security has also worked with
Scholastic Inc. to develop in-school
materials for fourth, fifth and sixth
grade students nationwide. These
activity sheets offer lessons that meet
national standards for language arts,
social studies and geography, while
providing teachers and parents with a
vehicle to explain important
emergency preparedness information
to children. The in-school materials
are being distributed to 135,000
middle-school teachers in the 25
largest metropolitan areas. The
materials will also be available on
www.ready.gov for teachers to
download.

upcoming issue of Scouting
magazine. This fall, the National PTA
will include the Ready Kids in-school
materials in its back-to-school
mailings to 26,000 PTAs across the
nation.

Individuals interested in more
information about family and
business preparedness can visit
www.ready.gov or call 1-800-BEREADY to receive a "Get Ready
Now” brochure. Citizen Corps,
Homeland Security’s grassroots
effort, localizes preparedness
messages and provides opportunities
for citizens to get emergency
response training; participate in
community exercises; and volunteer
to support local first responders. To
Ready Kids is a tool to help parents and
learn more and to get involved,
teachers educate children, ages 8-12,
The Ready Kids materials feature the contact your nearest Citizen Corps
about emergencies and how they can
Ready Kids mascot character, a strong Council by visiting
www.citizencorps.gov .
help their families prepare. Ready Kids and confident mountain lion named
includes a family-friendly website
Rex, who encourages children to help
(www.ready.gov) and in-school
The Ad Council is a private, nontheir families prepare for
materials developed by Scholastic Inc.
emergencies. Rex and his family -profit organization with a rich history
his wife Purrcilla, daughter Rory and of marshalling volunteer talent from
The U.S. Department of Homeland
the advertising and media industries
best friend, Hector Hummingbird -explain how families can take a few
Security consulted with a number of
to deliver critical messages to the
organizations experienced in education simple steps to prepare for all types
American public. Having produced
and children’s health to develop Ready
literally thousands of PSA campaigns
of emergencies. The Ready Kids
Kids, including American Psychological mascot was developed with The
addressing the most pressing social
Advertising Council, which has a
Association, American Red Cross,
issues of the day, the Ad Council has
long and successful 64-year history of effected, and continues to effect,
National Association of Elementary
School Principals, National Association developing mascots for other
tremendous positive change by
of School Psychologists, National PTA, educational programs including
raising awareness, inspiring action
Smokey Bear and McGruff the Crime and saving lives. To learn more about
National Center for Child Traumatic
Dog.
Stress, U.S. Department of Education
the Ad Council and its campaigns,
and U.S. Department of Health and
visit www.adcouncil.org .
Human Services. Their expertise
Prominent organizations such as the
helped present emergency preparedness National PTA, Girl Scouts of the
Ready Kids fact sheet:
in a way that is understandable and
U.S.A. and Boy Scouts of America
http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/interap
suitable for children.
are supporting the Ready Kids
p/press_release/press_release_0847.x
program by distributing information
ml
and materials to their members. For
The Ready Kids website
Ready Kids Website:
example, the Girl Scouts will use
http://www.ready.gov/kids/home.htm
(www.ready.gov) features fun games
l
and puzzles as well as age-appropriate, their intranet website to reach the
nearly four million Girl Scouts in this Source:
step-by-step instructions on what
http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display
families can do to be better prepared for country. The Boy Scouts will reach
emergencies and the role kids can play
their more than four million members ?content=5383
by sending information to their more
in that effort. The website also has
additional resources and information for than 300 local councils and featuring
Ready Kids on their website and in an
parents and teachers on emergency

GATEKEEPER NEWSLETTER

Page 10 of 20

Got it? 10-4? NOT!!!
Those of you who are on the NIMS
Alert e-mail list have already received
this, but for those of you who aren’t...
you haven't! You might remember a
NIMS Alert that came out in August
saying that 10-codes (those used by
law enforcement) shouldn’t be used
because it’s not plain language. That
caused quite a bit of commotion
among the law enforcement
community. That NIMS Alert was
pulled from the NIMS website, and a
few days later a subsequent statement
(but not an Alert) came out that said
that 10-codes could continue to be
used internally but not during a major
incident when other jurisdictions or
agencies became involved. So this is
just a formalization of that
subsequent guidance; it really is not
new.
Feel free to contact the NIMS
Integration Center with any
questions. [mailto:Nims-IntegrationCenter@dhs.gov] 202-646-3850
More About 10-Codes and Plain
English
In Washington, DC, if a police officer
says 10-50, he or she is talking about
a car accident. Across the line in
Montgomery County, Maryland, 1050 means an officer needs help. And
that's the way it is across much of the
country, 10-codes used in one
jurisdiction are not the same as those

used in another. That's why it is
important that responders and
incident managers use common
terminology. There simply is no room
for misunderstanding in an
emergency situation.
The use of plain language in
emergency response is matter of
public safety, especially the safety of
first responders and those affected by
the incident. It is critical that all local
responders, as well as those coming
into the impacted area from other
jurisdictions and other states as well
as the federal government, know and
utilize commonly established
operational structures, terminology,
policies and procedures. This is what
NIMS and the Incident Command
System (ICS) are all about achieving interoperability across
agencies, jurisdictions and
disciplines.
The use of common terminology is
about the ability of area commanders,
state and local EOC personnel,
federal operational coordinators, and
responders to communicate clearly
with each other and effectively
coordinate response activities, no
matter what the size, scope or
complexity of the incident. The
ability of responders from different
jurisdictions and different disciplines
to work together depends greatly on
their ability to communicate with

each other.
It is required that plain English
be used for multi-agency, multijurisdiction and multi-discipline
events, such as major disasters
and exercises. Beginning in the
fiscal year that starts on Oct. 1,
2006, federal preparedness grant
funding is contingent on the use
of plain English in incidents
requiring assistance from
responders from other agencies,
jurisdictions and functional
disciplines.
While the NIMS Integration
Center doesn’t require plain
English for internal operations,
they strongly encourage it.
They believe it is important to
practice everyday terminology
and procedures that will need to
be used in emergency incidents
and disasters. NIMS
implementation is a long-term
effort and it's probably not
possible to persuade everyone to
change ingrained habits
overnight. But they hope that
over time, everyone will
understand the important of using
common terminology, that is,
plain English, every day. (Thanks
to Anne Wilson, Region IX
DHS/FEMA for sharing timely
information with the Regional
Tribes and States.)

Protections for Subjects in Human Research:
Source: Federal Register: February 6,
2006; 40 CFR Parts 9 and 26
SUMMARY: With this final rule,
EPA bans research for pesticides
involving intentional exposure of
human subjects, when the subjects are
pregnant women or children. The rule
further strengthens existing
protections for subjects in research
conducted or supported by EPA, by
prohibiting such research if it would

involve intentional exposure of
human subjects who are pregnant
women or children. The rule also
extends new protections to adult
subjects in research for pesticides
conducted by others who intend to
submit the research to EPA, when it
involves intentional exposure of
human subjects who are non-pregnant
adults, and creates a new,
independent Human Studies Review
Board to advise the Agency on the
ethical and scientific issues arising in

such research. This final rule focuses
on third-party intentional dosing
human studies for pesticides and sets
the stage for further Agency actions.
In addition, in order to display the
OMB control number for the
information collection requirements
contained in this final rule, EPA is
amending the table of OMB approval
numbers for EPA regulations that
appears in 40 CFR part 9. DATES:
This rule is effective on April 7,
2006.

GATEKEEPER NEWSLETTER

Page 11 of 20

Better Disaster Public Education Needed:
Informing the public about
potential hazards facing their
communities and steps they should
take to protect themselves is a key
function of government, but the
issue gets little focus and support
despite the current push for preparedness, emergency preparedness stakeholders note in a new
report.
In the report, a working group of
the Emergency Management
Accreditation Program (EMAP)
emphasizes the correlation between
effective public education and
coordinated, effective disaster
response and recovery outcomes.
The report, Components of
Effective Disaster Public Education
and Information, outlines steps for
creating comprehensive and
understandable public education
messages so that residents can be
better informed and better
prepared. EMAP’s Disaster Public
Education and Information project
is unique in that it is designed to
assist local and state governments
in teaching public preparedness; the
project was supported by the Alfred
P. Sloan Foundation.
“We spend an inordinate amount of

time and money on branding the
messenger and not the message,”
said Ellis M. Stanley, Sr., general
manager, city of Los Angeles
Emergency Preparedness
Department and chairperson of
the EMAP Commission. “This
project provides guidance and the
basis for standards so that the
message is paramount, and we as
a nation can move forward using
these guidelines to reach the
diversity of our communities.”
The report notes that, “Federal
and state governments must
support local capabilities to
provide effective public
education and information
through continuity of authority,
emphasis, message, and
language, as local and state
public education and information
have a direct impact on
successful outcomes in a
disaster.”
The project was undertaken
because of the identified need for
guidance on how to better inform
the public about disasters - both
before and during an incident.
In the aftermath of hurricanes

Katrina and Rita, the U.S.
Department of Homeland
Security has added citizen
preparedness to its list of national
priorities. The Disaster Public
Education and Information
Working Group noted that while
there are significant resources
available about crisis communications during a disaster, there is
little guidance available to
elected leaders and emergency
management about effective
methods to inform the public in
advance of a disaster, when they
are much more likely to have
time to process the information’s
relevance to them and to
integrate recommendations into
their daily lives.
The report, which is available on
EMAP’s web site at
www.emaponline.org, is offered
to improve the development and
dissemination of disaster public
education and information
messages and to create a
foundation for future
improvement.
P.O Box 11910 Lexington,
KY 40578-1910
www.emaponline.org

What Are Your Responders Using?
FieldSoft's F Don Scene incident
command system (ICS) software
and FieldSoft’s PD on Scene ICS
software have been merged into a
single software product called
AIMSonSceneSU (single user)
software.
Arizona fire service agencies that
have selected the ICS software
product include Gila River, Casa
Grande, Eloy, Northwest Fire
District, Show Low, Yuma
(City of), Marine Corps Air Station
Yuma, Rural Metro (Tucson),
Tucson Airport Authority (fire),
Raytheon (Tucson Missile
Division), and Globe. Law
enforcement agencies within the

State that have selected the
software include Tempe, Lake
Havasu, Gilbert, Tucson, Marine
Corps Air Station Yuma Military
Police, and the Maricopa County
Sheriff's Office. LaPaz County
Emergency Management went so
far as to purchase and distribute
AIMSonSceneSU as the county
standard for fire service, law
enforcement, and public works
first responders.

the product name was done so that
all users participating in, or
planning for, a Unified Command
incident could feel confident that
the software is a true all hazards
product that supports any, or all,
first response agencies. Second,
the change was made so that
FieldSoft's single user, peer-topeer, and multi-user ICS soft-ware
product line could fall under the
AIMSonScene name.

AIMSonSceneSU contains all of
the features precisely found in
both FDonScene and DonScene,
and then some. The merge was
made for two reasons. First,
elimination of FD and PD from

FieldSoft can be contacted through
its web site www.fieldsoft.com ,
via email
information@fieldsoft.com or by
telephone (480-899-2128).

GATEKEEPER NEWSLETTER

Page 12 of 20

CDC Public Health Law:
There's a new look for CDC's
Public Health Law Web Site. The
CDC Public Health Law
Program has redesigned and
updated its web site. The Program
has deleted many older materials
on the site and added new ones.
Over the next few months, the
Program plans to add many more
materials, especially on emergency
legal preparedness. According to

Dr. Frederic E. Shaw, a medical
officer/attorney at the Program,
"For now, we have revamped the
site to make it better organized
and easier to navigate. In the
future, we plan to make our site a
portal for a broad collection of
electronic information on public
health law."
Shaw said the Public Health Law

Program has recruited a team of
expert volunteers to help provide
new content for the site. To see
the new site, visit:
http://www2a.cdc.gov/phlp/
(Thanks to Gregory T. Banner,
M.S., C.E.M., Regional
Emergency Coordinator,
Region I - New England, US Dpt
of Health and Human Services)

Nursing Home Simulation Available on U.S. Fire
Administration’s Virtual Campus:
Charlie Dickinson, Deputy U.S.
Fire Administrator, announced a
new command and control, online
simulation for emergency
responders involving a scenario at a
nursing home facility and a
scenario involving a typical single
family dwelling. The Q424 Nursing Home Fire simulation
presents the user with a kitchen fire
in a two- story nursing home. Upon
successful completion of this online
simulation course, the user will be
able to recognize the rescue issues
related to this type of occupancy those people who have differing
medical problems and those people
who are visiting.

protecting all people living in all
environments in this nation. Our
senior citizens are too often the
tragic victims of fire. This
course will better prepare the
firefighters facing the challenges
present when dealing with these
types of fires."

"This simulation, with its nursing
home command challenges, is
designed to help command officials
better understand the problems that
may occur within nursing facilities
during emergencies," said
Dickinson. "Homeland security and
preparedness involves firefighters

The Q324 Ranch House
interactive simulation involves a
scenario depicting a single-story,
single family dwelling and
presents the student with a 'roomand-contents fire' and basic
rescue problems. Upon successful completion of this online

Course objectives include safe
removal of all occupants and
containment and control of fire in
the building of origin. National
Fire Academy/United States Fire
Administration certification will
be granted upon successful
completion of the course
evaluations.

simulation course, the user will
be able to recognize the cues and
problems associated with this
type of incident. Course objecttives are the rescue and safe
removal of occupants. National
Fire Academy/United States Fire
Administration certification will
be granted upon successful
completion of the course evaluations.
The courses can be found on
USFA's Virtual Campus at:
http://www.training.fema.gov .
The USFA has many other
training programs, both online
and classroom-based, that are
designed to assist emergency
responders in becoming better
prepared for all types of emergencies. Information on these
training programs and other
USFA initiatives and publications can be found at
www.usfa.fema.gov .

GATEKEEPER NEWSLETTER

Page 13 of 20

Update on TSCA Reporting:

… to protect human
health and the
environment

See: ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION AGENCY 40 CFR
Part 710. This is a Direct Final
Rule:TSCA Inventory Update
Reporting Partially Exempted
Chemicals List; Addition of Certain
Vegetable-based Oils, Soybean
Meal, and Xylitol .

processing and use information
required by Sec. 710.52(c)(4):
Two vegetable-based oils (fats and
glyceridic oils, vegetable (CASRN
68956-68-3) and canola oil
(CASRN 120962-03-0)), soybean
meal (CASRN 68308-36-1), and
xylitol (CASRN 87-99-0).

SUMMARY: EPA is taking direct
final action to amend the Toxic
Substances Control Act (TSCA)
section 8(a) Inventory Update
Reporting (IUR) regulations by
adding the following four chemical
substances to the list of chemical
substances in Sec. 710.46(b)(2)(iv)
which are exempt from reporting

EPA has determined that the IUR
processing and use information for
these chemicals is of low current
interest. Manufacturers and
importers of the chemicals listed in
Sec. 710.46(b)(2)(iv) must
continue to report manufacturing
information.

DATES: This direct final rule is
effective on April 18, 2006 without
further notice, unless EPA receives
adverse comment by March 20,
2006.
If, however, EPA receives adverse
comment, EPA will publish a
Federal Register document to
withdraw the direct final rule
before the effective date.
ADDRESSES: Submit your
comments, identified by docket
identification (ID) number EPAHQ-OPPT-2006-0025 and see FR
notice for details.

TSCA Inventory Update Rule [40 CFR 710]
EPA promulgated the Inventory
Update Rule (IUR) at 40 CFR 710
in 1986 for the partial updating of
the Toxic Substances Control Act
(TSCA) Chemical Inventory data
base. The rule requires
manufacturers and importers of
certain chemical substances
included on the TSCA Inventory to
report current data on the
production volume, plant site, and
site-limited status of these
substances. Reporting under the
Inventory Update Rule takes place

at four-year intervals which began
in 1986. Information on chemicals
from calendar year 2005 must be
reported to EPA using Form U
during the 2006 submission period.
The 2006 reporting period is from
August 25, 1998 to December 23,
2006.
This year you will be able to
submit the IUR Form U online
through EPA’s Central Data
Exchange (CDX). EPA is currently
developing the capability for IUR

submitters to use EPA’s CDX to
upload their electronic IUR data over
the Web to EPA for processing. You
will continue to be able to submit
Form U to the Agency either in hard
copy or on CD-ROM.
To determine if you must report in
2006, use EPA’s online IUR Advisor.
(Thanks to the Environmental
Resource Center: Questions? email
service@ercweb.com )

SPCC Plan Information Update:
Source: (USA) Federal Register:
February 17, 2006; Environmental
Protection Agency; 40 CFR Part
112-Oil Pollution Prevention; NonTransportation Related Onshore
Facilities
SUMMARY: The Environmental

Protection Agency is extending the
dates by which facilities must
prepare or amend Spill Prevention,
Control, and Countermeasure
(SPCC) Plans, and implement those
Plans. This action allows the
Agency time to take final action on
proposed revisions to the July 17,

2002 SPCC rule before owners and
operators of facilities are required to
meet requirements of that rule when
preparing or amending their SPCC
Plans.
DATES: This final rule was effective
February 17, 2006.
See FR notice for details.

GATEKEEPER NEWSLETTER

Page 14 of 20

EPA UPDATES:
(1) Tools Released to Help Small
Drinking-Water Systems
(2) EPA Revokes Burdensome
Federal Gas Formula Mandate
(1) Tools Released to Help Small
Drinking-Water Systems
Contact: Dale Kemery, 202-5644355 / kemery.dale@epa.gov
EPA has released two new tools
and a suggested affordability
approach for small water utilities
trying to balance the demands for
quality water with their financial
ability to deliver. Today's action is
part of an overall program to
protect public health, support small
water systems and keep costs of
water manageable. The targeted
systems serve 3,300 customers or
fewer.
The first document, "Setting Small
Drinking Water System Rates for a
Sustainable Future," will help
owners and operators understand
the full costs of providing a quality
and adequate supply of drinking
water to their customers and guide
them in setting water rates that will
support these costs. The second
document, "Case Studies of
Sustainable Water and Wastewater
Pricing," provides real-world
examples of eight drinking-water
systems and their approach to
determining and establishing rates.

In another action, EPA is
requesting public comment on
several proposed revised methods
to determine when variances can be
granted by state agencies to small
systems that cannot afford to
comply with future drinking water
standards. A small-system
variance allows a drinking water
system to use a treatment
technology that is both affordable
and protects public health.

The documents and additional
information on EPA's sustainable
infrastructure efforts are available
at:
http://www.epa.gov/water/infrastru
cture

Variances are not available for
microbial contaminants such as
bacteria, viruses, or other
organisms. The Safe Drinking
Water Act requires EPA to identify
affordable treatment technologies
for small systems for each new
drinking-water standard.

In a move to provide greater
flexibility in producing cleanburning gasoline to protect and
improve air quality, EPA is
revoking the two percent oxygen
content requirement for
reformulated gasoline (RFG)
nationwide. The Energy Policy Act
authorized the action, which
reduces production burdens while
continuing to protect the
environment with clean fuel blends
as the use of ethanol increases.
Currently, about 30 percent of
gasoline is RFG. The revocation
takes effect nationwide on May 6
and in California 60 days after the
regulation's publication in the
Federal Register.

This proposal responds to a request
from Congress and other
stakeholders that EPA review its
approach for assessing the
affordability of drinking water
regulations. EPA is seeking public
comment and will further refine the
proposal to reflect the best
information available. Comments
will be accepted for 60 days after
publication in the Federal Register.
A pre-publication copy of the
proposal and more information on
small-system variances is at:
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/smal
lsys/affordability.html

(2) EPA Revokes Burdensome
Federal Gas Formula Mandate
Contact: John Millett, 202-5644355 / millett.john@epa.gov

More information is at:
http://www.epa.gov/otaq/rfg_regs.h
tm

National Response Center- Interim Final Drafts:
The National Response Team's
Weapons of Mass Destruction
Science & Technology
Subcommittee has posted Interim
Final Drafts of Anthrax, Tularemia,
Smallpox, and Plague Quick
Reference Guides (QRGs) to the
NRT website. Visit:www.nrt.org
and under Guidance, Technical
Assistance and Planning > Hazards
>Biological Hazards, you should

find them. WMD S&T
Subcommittee members will also
find the documents posted to
their subcommittee’s webpage.
Questions regarding the QRGs
should be forwarded to CAPT
Colleen Petullo
petullo.colleen@epa.gov or
Michelle Cook
Michelle_Cook@sra.com.

Thanks for sharing to:
Mr. Tim Holmes
Environmental Protection
Specialist.
11th Coast Guard District (dxc)
Bldg 51-1 Coast Guard Island
Alameda, CA 94501-5100
510-437-2959/Fax437-3989

GATEKEEPER NEWSLETTER

Page 15 of 20

TRI-ME Tutorial:
The TRI Program announced the
release of the TRI-ME Tutorials
instructional videos. The tutorials
are available at:
http://www.epa.gov/tri/report/trime
/tutorials

Flash
(http://www.macromedia.com/shoc
kwave/welcome/ )

Once you access the TRI-ME
Tutorial webpage, click on the
tutorial icon to begin. A “loading”
The purpose of the tutorials is to
screen will be shown as the tutorial
assist facilities with using TRI-ME is loading. Depending on the speed
and submitting forms via the
of your internet access, the tutorial
Central Data Exchange (CDX) for
could begin in seconds or it could
Reporting Year (RY) 2005. Each
take minutes. Once the main page
tutorial is approximately four
appears, you will have access to
minutes long and it includes video
several topics. You will also see
and audio to assist users.
the topics that are currently under
construction. EPA hopes to have
How Can I View the Tutorials?
the under construction topics ready
by late spring. To assist facilities,
To view the TRI-ME Tutorials, you the TRI-ME software will provide
will need the following:
links to the TRI-ME Tutorial page.
• Internet access
Can I Use the Tutorials for My TRI
• Web Browser (Internet
Workshops?
Explorer, Netscape, etc.)
• Macromedia Flash capability
The TRI-ME Tutorials will be
• Use the following URL to test
helpful in educating facilities about
if your computer has Macromedia

TRI-ME and CDX. The use of the
tutorials is encouraged for the TRI
Workshops. However, some
workshop classrooms will not be
equipped with Internet access. A
CD version of the Tutorials is
planned to be distributed at the TRI
National Meeting.
Contact Information: If you have
any questions or problems with the
tutorials, contact Josh Woodyard at
202 566 0738 or
woodyard.joshua@epa.gov .
Josh Woodyard
U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency
Toxics Release Inventory Program,
MC 2844T
1200 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20460
202-566-0738 (W)
202-309-5228 (C)
Website: www.epa.gov/tri

Upcoming Deadlines:
- April 22
EPCRA Reminder
Annual Tier I and Tier Two Inventory
Reports Due
RCRA Reminder
Annual RCRA training is required by
- March 1
law (40 CFR 265.16) for workers at
hazardous waste facilities. Receive
RCRA Reminders
Annual reports due from hazardous
your required training and learn how
waste generators and treatment,
to comply at any of Environmental
storage, or disposal facility
Resource Center’s RCRA training
owner/operators in some states.
programs, offered across the country,
online, and customized to the needs
- March 1
of your facility. For more
information, visit www.ercweb.com
Annual reports due from primary
or call 800-537-2372 today.
exporters of hazardous waste
Annual groundwater monitoring
reports due
CAA Reminders
Existing sources subject to organic
hazardous air pollutant emission
controls under 40 CFR 63, subpart H,
for equipment leaks from Groups II
and IV chemical process units must
submit semiannual report to EPA

DOT Reminder
The Department of Transportation
Docket HM-126F (49 CFR 172.700)
makes training mandatory for almost
anyone who manages hazardous
materials, regardless of the amount.
This affects employees who classify
materials and determine proper
shipping names, select or fill
hazardous materials packages, mark,

label and placard
containers/vehicles, filling out
shipping papers, load or unload
vehicles, move hazardous
materials, or operate transportation
vehicles. For more information,
visit www.ercweb.com or call 800537-2372 today.
OSHA Reminders
Any employer that posted a
summary of occupational injuries
and illnesses recorded for the 2004
reporting year may remoce the
summary from general view
- May 1
CAA Reminder
Annual reports due for
manufacturers of vehicles subject
to Tier 2 emissions limitations
under 40 CFR 63, Subpart S
- May 1

GATEKEEPER NEWSLETTER

Page 16 of 20

Shorts:
Training for Hospital StaffsGood Source!
Check out
http://www.hazmatforhealthcare.
com
(Thanks to Paul Penn for all he
does!)
Support for Facility
Reporting:
Take a look at:
http://www.airproducts.com/Res
ponsibility/EHS/EnvironmentalP
rotection/sara312.htm . There's
some very specific information
there for Air Products customers,
but a great deal of excellent
information in general for
LEPCs and other facilities. This
sure looks like an outstanding
partnership that Air Products has
with its customers. Might have
your industries look to see how
they are being supported.
Notifications such as these keep
information accurate and
facilities out of harm's
way....both from an incident and
compliance/enforcement actions.
Weather Website:
Visit NOAA's now COAST Web
Mapping Portal at
http://nowcoast.noaa.gov
(Thanks to Stephen Marks,
CEM, Guilford County Office of
Emergency Management, North
Carolina 27409, Phone (336)
641-5517 Fax (336) 641-5748,
steve.marks@guilford-es.com
www.guilford-em.com
Got Room For Eleven Megs?
Visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/down
loads/details.aspx?FamilyID=95
e24c87-8732-48d5-8689ab826e7b8fdf&DisplayLang=en
It's a file that will allow you to
look at any word document.
(Thanks to Richard Eaton,
Program and Projects Specialist
II, Arizona Emergency Response
Commission, 602-392-7517)

Openoffice.org
If you’ve found you are really
behind software wise then check
out the following link to update
your system. There are also
instructions for pc cleanup
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/
moredone/optimize.mspx
Pandemic Flu Information:
The CDC has a good website chock
full of information. See
http://www.pandemicflu.gov/ the
checklist provided for business on
this site has applicability to
Emergency Operations Centers
and other
government operations. This is, of
course, a continuity of operations
issue for government and
responders.
Hospital/Nursing Home
Evacuations:
See "Preliminary Observations on
the Evacuation of Hospitals and
Nursing Homes Due to Hurricanes.
GAO-06-443R, February 16," at
http://www.gao.gov/cgibin/getrpt?GAO-06-443R
NIMS Questions and Answers:
Visit: http://faq.fema.gov/cgibin/fema.cfg/php/enduser/std_alp.p
hp to see some typical
questions/answers regarding NIMS
and related programs. A recent
question on Federal preparedness
grants is answered at:
http://faq.fema.gov/cgibin/fema.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.p
hp?p_faqid=317
Protecting Your Animals:
Check out these sites for a sample
emergency plan for horse owners.
Much of the information is generic
enough to be suitable for any
domesticated animal or pet.
http://www.equusite.com/ or
http://www.infohorse.com
(Thanks to
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AZ
_CERT/ )

The Pipeline Emergencies
Program - A National Training
Curriculum:
Visit:
http://www.emforum.org/vforum
/lc060208.htm for the transcript
of a recent Virtual Forum that
was made possible by The
Emergency Information
Infrastructure Partnership (EIIP).
Blast Injuries:
See a new educational website
regarding blast injuries:
http://www.blastinjury.org/
The website is maintained by an
academic group of universitybased emergency physicians with
a special interest in blast-related
issues. The goal of the website is
to provide important resource
information about blast injuries,
blast physics, and explosive
characteristics.
Any feedback or suggestions
would be greatly appreciated in
order to make this a more
comprehensive educational tool.
Please send your comments to:
blastinjuries@yahoo.com or
info@blastinjury.org
Hazardous Waste Placards
According to 40 CFR 262.33,
before offering hazardous waste
for transportation off-site,
generators of hazardous waste
must placard or offer the initial
transporter the appropriate
placards according to
Department of Transportation
regulations for hazardous
materials under 49 CFR 172,
subpart F
Many hazardous waste
generators depend on the
transporter to placard their
vehicles, which is acceptable.
However, it is the generator’s
responsibility to ensure that the
vehicle is properly placarded.

GATEKEEPER NEWSLETTER

Page 17 of 20

Upcoming Events (See http://www.dem.state.az.us/azserc/upcoming.htm for
further details)
Site Incident Commander (SIC) 24Hour Training
This is an invitation to attend the
upcoming Inter Tribal Council of
Arizona, Inc. (ITCA) sponsored
trainings, Site Incident Commander
(SIC) 24-Hour.
The EPCRA training program, funded
by the Department of TransportationHazardous Materials Emergency
Preparedness (DOT-HMEP) Grant,
provides technical training and
assistance to Tribes in the development
of Tribal emergency response plans.
San Carlos Apache Tribe
March 15-16-17, 2006
Apache Gold Resort & Casino
San Carlos, Arizona
Hopi Tribe
March 29-30-31, 2006
Kykotsmovi Community Center
Kykotsmovi, Arizona
There is no registration fee for the
trainings. However, due to limited
number of spaces available, registration
is necessary and will be limited to thirty
(30) participants for each class. Also,
because of funding limitations, travel
reimbursement will not be available and
training attendees will be responsible
for their own transportation, meals, and
room costs.
If you have any questions, please
contact George Little, Jr., Emergency
Systems Development Coordinator at
602-258-4822.

ƒ

ƒ

First-On-Scene Operations
(FOSO) 16-Hour or First
Responder Operations (FRO) 24Hour training is a prerequisite to
this course.
All trainings will be from 8:00
a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

March 20-25, 2006
CAMEO Training

Harvard School of Public Health Offers
The Following three programs on emergency preparedness and response, held in
Boston:
- If you are a new or existing CAMEO
user, learn the basics of the program by
attending Basic Hands-On CAMEO
Training March 20-22, 2006
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/ccpe/progra
ms/CAMEO.shtml
- If you are an advanced CAMEO user,
build on your current knowledge base by
attending Advanced Hands-On CAMEO
Training May 22-24, 2006
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/ccpe/progra
ms/ADVCAMEO.shtml
- If your organization needs to develop
one, functional, integrated emergency
plan, you should attend Integrated
Emergency Planning: A Step-By-Step
Approach to "One Plan" Based on Basic
On-Line Disaster and Emergency
Response (BOLDER) Planning Software,
(developed in AZ), May 25, 2006
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/ccpe/progra
ms/oneplan.shtml

at 301-447-1309 or email at
dawn.warehime@dhs.gov
April 18-19, 2006
Southwest Homeland Security
Conference
"Securing the Southwest- Together."
April 18-19, 2006
Phoenix Civic Plaza
111 N. 3rd Street
Phoenix, AZ
Visit:
http://ww.swhomelandsecurity.com/
May 9-10, 2006
2006 WA State Tribal/LEPC
Conference
West Coast Wenatchee
Wenatchee, WA
Conference topics include:
LEPC/TERC 101 with Dan Roe, AZ
SERC and George Little, Inter Tribal
Council of Arizona, Inc. Hydrocarbons
with Dr. Fred Cowie Tribal Emergency
Response Planning Ammonia Spill
Response Meth Lab: A Cook’s
Perspective

Scholarships available!
For more information on courses offered
through the Harvard School of Public
Health, Center for Continuing
Professional Education, visit:
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/ccpe or call
(617) 384-8692.
Please be sure to mention your Reference
Code: CAM06-EM3 in all
correspondence.
April 10-13, 2006
Mitigation for Tribal Officials Course
The Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Inc.
disseminates information pertaining to
training, conferences, and/or workshops
that are geared toward the tribal environmental and emergency response
professional. E344-Mitigation for Tribal
Officials will be held, April 10-13, 2006,
in Emmitsburg, MD. Attendance is
limited to 25 participants. If you have
questions, please contact Dawn Warehime

*NEW THIS YEAR – Pre-Conference
Training*
On Monday, May 8, optional training
classes are being offered. Beginning at
1 PM. You MUST pre-register for these
offerings! You will receive Course
Completion Certificates for your
attendance. The courses being offered
are:
Meth Lab and Explosives Awareness
HazMat Awareness ICS 200 Overview
(Test required) Government to
Government Relations
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!
Please contact Ron Wilson or Deborah
Henderson at WA State EMD 1-800562-6108 to register. State EMD will be
covering 2006 WA State Tribal/LEPC
Conference May 9-10, 2006
West Coast Wenatchee

GATEKEEPER NEWSLETTER

Page 18 of 20

Upcoming Events (See http://www.dem.state.az.us/azserc/upcoming.htm for
further details)
May 15-18, 2006
Visit: www.nasttpo.org
The Annual NASTTPO Conference
Will be held in Little Rock, Arkansas,
will be held from May 15 through May
18, 2006. There will be CAMEO
training on the 19th of May. The
registration fee for the conference will
be $300 for the early registrants (prior
to April 15th); after April 15th, the fee is
$350. A registration from will be
posted on the NASTTPO website. The
conference will be held at the Little
Rock Double Tree.
ƒ For your long-range planning, next
year’s NASTTPO Mid-year
conference will be in Las Vegas on
November 14-15.
May 22-24, 2006
Proven Strategies for Effective Risk
Communication:
Jeffrey P. Koplan, MD, MPH, will
share his account of the challenges and
triumphs of being Director of the
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention during 9/11, anthrax threats,
mad cow disease and SARS.

effectively.

storing your EPCRA data.

- Mental Models: A scientific process for
developing the most effective messages.

Advanced Hands-On CAMEO Training
will help even long-time users take full
advantage of the just added features
offered by new versions of the CAMEO
software suite.

- Lessons from Case Studies: Acrylamide,
indoor air pollution at an elementary
school, the sitting of BSL-4 laboratories in
May 25, 2006
the United States, various examples of
For complete details or to register:
crisis communication.
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/ccpe/progra
ms/oneplan.shtml
Special Offer:
Register by March 3, 2006 and receive
$100 off the regular rate! For more
information or to register, please visit:
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/ccpe/progra
ms/RCC.shtml or call (617) 384-8692.
Please be sure to mention your Reference
Code: RCC06-EM1

May 25, 2006
Harvard School of Public Health
Presents - Advanced Hands-On
CAMEO Training
Boston, Massachusetts
May 22-24, 2006
For complete details or to register:
If you are responsible for construction
of communication messages or actually http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/ccpe/progra
ms/ADVCAMEO.shtml .
presenting to the public or media
A
new, expanded, faster CAMEO
regarding any public health risks or
(Computer-Aided
Management of
crisis, this program is essential will be
Emergency
Operations)
system is now
taught at the Harvard School of Public
available.
If
you
are
new
to CAMEO, this
Health Boston, Massachusetts.
is your opportunity to gain a
comprehensive introduction to this
What You Will Learn:
version. If you are already using CAMEO,
you will learn how to take maximum
- Risk Perception: The biology and
advantage of the new features, with
psychology which explain how people
minimal disruption to your existing data.
subconsciously "decide" what to be
The CAMEO suite of programs:
afraid of and how afraid to be. Why
CAMEO, ALOHA, and LandView uses
public reaction to risk seems to be
Filemaker Pro. The new CAMEO looks
"irrational."
quite different from the previous version,
although the information will be familiar.
- The News Media and Risk: Why
It is organized in a similar fashion, with
journalists often play up the frightening Facility Information, Chemicals in
and threatening aspects of the news, and Inventory, Special Locations, and
how to work with the media more
Screening and Scenarios modules for

This intensive one-day workshop
(available as a standalone or with
Advanced Hands-On CAMEO Training,
May 22-24, 2006) will provide the skills
needed to develop a "One Plan" integrated
contingency plan using Basic On-Line
Disaster and Emergency Response
(BOLDER) planning software. Expert
instruction will guide participants through
a step-by-step approach to developing one
functional, integrated emergency plan to
save your organization time and money.
Contact the Harvard School of Public
Health, Center for Continuing
Professional Education, please contact us
at:
Web: www.hsph.harvard.edu/ccpe
CALL: 617-384-8692
EMAIL: contedu@hsph.harvard.edu
(Note: The original BOLDER tool,
developed in Arizona is what is being
used as a model for this training. )
June 18-21, 2006
The 16th World Conference on Disaster
Management (WCDM)
Visit: http://www.wcdm.org for more
information or call Adrian Gordon at
(905) 331-2552 or email:
agordon@ccep.ca

GATEKEEPER NEWSLETTER

Page 19 of 20

Q & A from IS-800 National Response Plan (NRP), an
Introduction (See http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/is800.asp )
Here are the final questions and
answers from IS-800 National
Response Plan (NRP), an
Introduction. Please refer back
to our previous newsletters for
the rest of the questions and
answers. We started giving the
test questions in the July 2005
edition and have continued up to
this month.
Q: Who manages the Federal
resource support activities
related to non-Stafford Act
Incidents of National
Significance when Federal-toFederal support is requested
from DHS?
A. Federal Coordination Officer
(FCO)
B. Comptroller
C. Chief of Staff
D. Federal Resource
Coordinator (FRC)
Answer: D
Q: Hazard Mitigation involves:
A. Preventing the immediate
loss of life after a disaster
strikes.
B. Lessening the paperwork
associated with applying for
hazard grants.
C. Reducing or eliminating

long-term risk to people and
property from hazards.
D. Clearing contaminants from an
area following the release of a
chemical agent.
Answer: C
Q: Which of the following
statements about reporting
requirements is correct?
A. State, local, and tribal
governments report threats,
incidents, and potential incidents
using specialized communications
and reporting channels established
for NRP events.
B. Typically, first responders
report information directly to the
HSOC, which in turn notifies State
or local emergency operations
centers.
C. Credible information regarding
terrorist threats is reported from a
local FBI agent to the national FBI
Strategic Information and
Operations Center and then to the
HSOC.
D. Federal emergency operations
centers are encouraged but not
required to use established
reporting mechanisms to report
incident information to the HSOC.
Answer: C
Q: Select the TRUE statement

from below:
A. Standard procedures
regarding requests for assistance
may be expedited or, under
extreme circumstances,
suspended in the immediate
aftermath of an event of
catastrophic magnitude.
B. Under the Stafford Act, the
HSOC designates the types of
assistance to be made available
and the counties eligible to
receive assistance.
C. In a terrorist event, law
enforcement officials must wait
to plan evidence collection and
preservation until after the lifesaving response operations are
completed.
D. The majority of initial
response actions in the local
threat or hazard area are taken by
Federal responders.
Answer: B
Q: Under the Stafford Act, who
requests assistance from the
Federal Government?
A. The designated Senior
Federal Officials (SFOs)
B. The Principal Federal Official
(PFO)
C. The State Coordinating
Officer (SCO)
D. The Governor

Commercial products and services are mentioned for informational purposes only and
should not be construed as AZSERC endorsements.
Let’s Hear From You!
Send us your inputs and
feedback on the newsletter;
including, exercises and other
LEPC related activities in
which you've been involved.
Let us know what you’d like to

see in future editions. Talk to
us!
We appreciate your input and
look forward to hearing from
you!

Sincerely,

Daniel Roe
Daniel Roe,
Executive Director

Arizona Emergency
Response Commission
5636 E. McDowell Road
Phoenix, AZ 85008-3495
Phone:
Fax:

(602) 231-6346
(602) 392-7519

Visit:
www.dem.state.az.us/azserc
www.azserc.org (for reporting)
Daniel Roe – Executive Director
Roger Soden – Emergency Services
Program Coordinator
Paul Culberson – Planner II
Richard Eaton – Programs &
Projects Specialist II
Sylvia Castillo – Admin Asst III
Chrissy McCullough –
Admin Asst II
Commissioners:
Frank F. Navarrete Chair
Susan Gerard

ADHS Director

Stephen A. Owens

ADEQ Director

Victor Mendez

ADOT Director

Roger Vanderpool

ADPS Director

Designees:
Daniel Roe

ADEM

Don Herrington

ADHS

Michael Fulton

ADEQ

Sonya Herrera

ADOT

Terry Conner

ADPS

Help us reduce hard copy mail outs. Send us your email and tell us to
switch you to electronic notification. Thanks
E-Mail azserc@azdema.gov

Advisory Committee:
Corporation Commission
Industrial Commission
State Mine Inspector
State Fire Marshal
Radiation Regulatory Agency
Department of Agriculture
Arizona Fire Chiefs Association
Mesa FD & Chandler FD
State Attorney General
Smith and Associates – Sybil Smith
Apache Nitrogen –

Pam Beilke

Intel Corporation -

James Wick

Private Sector Advisory Committee
– One Position Vacant
Gatekeeper Newsletter:
Daniel Roe – Editor in Chief
Chrissy McCullough - Editor

About Our Organization…
The AZSERC was established
by Arizona Law (Arizona
Revised Statutes-Title 26,
Chapter 2, Article 3) and is
tasked with the implementation
of the Emergency Planning and
Community Right to Know Act
(EPRCA) in Arizona.
This Commission oversees 15
Local Emergency Planning
Committees and supports
community, industry and
government and academia in:
planning, release and incident
reporting, data management

guidance for inventory
reporting, public disclosure of
information about hazardous
chemicals in Arizona as well as
development of training and
outreach programs.
The Commission supports
individual agency goals and
objectives. This is accomplished
through the receipt and
coordination of emergency
notifications of chemical
releases, collection and
provision of chemical inventory
information to interested parties,
training and grants programs.

Additionally, the AZSERC
provides consultative services,
conducts and participates in
workshops and coordinates
development and review of
plans and programs for 15 Local
Emergency Planning
Committees. Further, the
AZSERC serves as a state
clearinghouse for hazardous
chemical emergency
preparedness and planning
activities and information
through coordination with
federal, tribal, state, local
governments, industry and
community interest groups.