An Article Out Loud Flashback from the Domestic Preparedness Journal, June 29, 2005.
In the late 1960s, far too many firefighters were dying in the line of duty when fighting fires involving hazardous materials (hazmat). One man, Ludwig Benner, realized that changes were needed, both in the way firefighters were being trained and in the decision-making process. This 2005 article provides some history behind how modern hazmat thinking evolved.
Narrated by Randy Vivian.
Listen on
Rob Schnepp
Rob Schnepp is division chief of special operations (ret.) for Alameda County (CA) Fire Department. His incident response career spans 30 years as a special operations fire chief, incident commander, consultant, and published author. He commanded numerous large-scale emergencies for the Alameda County (CA) Fire Department, protecting 500 square miles and two national laboratories in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. He twice planned and directed Red Command at Urban Shield, the largest Homeland Security exercise in the United States. He served on the curriculum development team and instructed Special Operations Program Management at the U.S. Fire Administration’s National Fire Academy. He is the author of “Hazardous Materials: Awareness and Operations.” He has developed risk assessment, incident management, and incident command training for Fortune 500 companies, foreign governments, and U.S. national laboratories.
