[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Somerset 12-10-1991. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Solid waste — See Ch. 161.
ATTACHMENTS
022a Addendum
A. 
The Town of Somerset is primarily a suburban community in the center of Niagara County. There is one fire district: Barker Fire Department, Inc., a volunteer fire department. Law enforcement is handled by Niagara County Sheriff's Department and the New York State Police.
B. 
It is the intent of this plan to be a reference for the personnel of these organizations and a guideline for the handling of hazardous materials incidents. It must be recognized that heavy reliance must be placed on obtaining information from outside sources.
C. 
It must also be emphasized that the handling of hazardous material cannot be paralleled to firefighting operations. Quick, aggressive action has no place at a hazardous material incident and will only lead to unnecessary exposure. These incidents will be time-consuming and involved. All actions taken must be deliberate and planned after properly researching the materials involved.
D. 
Should a hazardous materials emergency exist within the Town of Somerset, this plan shall be used in conjunction with the Niagara County Hazardous Materials Response Plan and any other plan that may impact the outcome of the incident.
A. 
This comprehensive hazardous materials response plan for the Town of Somerset has been prepared to meet statutory planning requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration 29 CFR 1910.120 (March 6, 1990) and to provide for a higher degree of preparedness to deal with incidents involving hazardous materials.
B. 
This plan provides basic guidelines and establishes responsibility for the response to hazardous material incidents in the Town of Somerset. The plan is intended for response to a transportation accident or the release of hazardous material at a fixed site.
A. 
The objectives of this plan are to:
(1) 
Set forth a course of action which will minimize hazards to life and property and adverse impacts upon the environment from the release of hazardous material.
(2) 
Establish procedures to provide for a coordinated effort on the part of the Town of Somerset and any outside agencies that may respond to such an emergency.
(3) 
Identify emergency response organizations, equipment and other resources which can be employed during such a response.
(4) 
Provide a mechanism to integrate community response procedures within each other.
B. 
This hazardous material response plan for the Town of Somerset is intended to establish procedures in accordance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(2)(i) through (xii).
A. 
This plan, in conjunction with the Niagara County Hazardous Materials Response Plan, provides basic guidelines and establishes responsibilities for response to hazardous material incidents in the Town of Somerset.
B. 
The Fire Service of Niagara County is the lead agency in disaster preparedness and is the only organized mutual aid program currently in use in the county. It is made up of 29 volunteer and three career fire departments and is divided into four areas. Each local department has protective gear and self-contained breathing apparatus to handle minor incidents involving hazardous materials. Because a large number of this type of incident is beyond the capabilities of the local department, the Niagara County Hazardous Materials Response Team (NCHMRT) was formed and recognized in accordance with General Municipal Law (GML) § 209-y.
C. 
Within the Town of Somerset, there is one of the aforementioned fire departments: Barker Fire Department, Inc. The objective of the Niagara County Hazardous Materials Response Plan is to establish procedures to provide for a coordinated effort on the part of the County Fire Service by using its established mutual aid plan (in accordance with GML § 204-f) in response to a hazardous materials emergency. In the event that such an incident should grow to the magnitude to exceed the resources of the Niagara County mutual aid plan, the Fire Coordinator, acting as regional fire administrator, will request that the State Fire Mobilization and Mutual Aid Plan be implemented in accordance with GML § 209-e.
D. 
The Barker Fire Department, Inc., and the Sheriff's Department have radio communication capabilities with the Niagara County Control Center. Upon notification of a hazardous materials incident in the Town of Somerset, the Control Center will proceed as in Section III of the Niagara County Hazardous Materials Response Plan.
E. 
The Niagara County Sheriff's Department and the Town of Somerset Highway Department will perform pursuant to provisions of 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(6)(i). The Fire Departments will perform pursuant to provisions of 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(6)(ii).
A. 
Upon notification of a hazardous material emergency, the ranking officer of the Fire Department with local jurisdiction and authority will act as on-scene commander. As such, he will assess the emergency situation and, if appropriate, establish a command post. He should declare a response level according to the response criteria listed in Section VI of the Niagara County Hazardous Material Response Plan. The responsibilities thereafter will be pursuant to Section 3A of the Niagara County Hazardous Materials Response Plan. [NOTE: See Addendum Nos. 1, 2 and 3.[1]]
[1]
Editor's Note: The addenda are included as attachments to this chapter.
B. 
In the event of a crime-associated hazardous material emergency, the Niagara County Sheriff's Department will participate in a joint command operation.
C. 
All communication will be coordinated through the Niagara County Control Center.
D. 
Direction and control begins with the local response but is expanded as the emergency escalates to a larger response directed by the county or possibly the state.
E. 
Local participating agencies, depending upon the circumstances, may also include:
(1) 
Supervisor.
(2) 
Public works departments.
(3) 
Volunteer groups.
F. 
The fire department staff(s) are to be trained to function at the operations level [29 CFR 1910.120(q)(6)(ii)]. The police and departments of public works staff(s) are to be trained to respond at the awareness level [29 CFR 1910.120(q)(6)(i)].
Responders other than the fire departments should immediately notify the Niagara County Control Center of the location along with any other available/pertinent information in order that the appropriate fire department may be activated to respond. Such responders will attempt to determine, from a safe distance, what material is involved by interpreting placard identification (ID) numbers, shipping papers, witness/driver interviews, etc. The United States Department of Transportation Guidebook (DOT P5800.5) is an excellent reference and will be carried in each Niagara County Sheriff patrol vehicle, as well as issued to the Town Highway Department and to the fire department (Barker Fire Department, Inc.).
Response to a suspected hazardous materials incident shall be as follows:
A. 
Advise the County Control Center of the location and any other available details.
B. 
Note any weather conditions and make special note of the wind direction. Stay upwind.
C. 
Stop and park far enough away from the incident site so as not to introduce an ignition source.
D. 
Move people away from the incident scene and keep them away.
E. 
Do not walk into or touch any spilled material.
F. 
Avoid inhaling fumes, smoke and vapors.
G. 
Do not assume that gases or vapor are harmless because of a lack of smell.
H. 
Police will:
(1) 
Secure the area and set up an outer perimeter and isolate the hazard area supplying traffic control and support personnel.
(2) 
Assist in evacuation of the site if requested to do so by the site commander.
I. 
The Fire Department will:
(1) 
Establish an inner perimeter. This area should be observed by all personnel until a tactical plan has been established.
(2) 
Identify the material or materials involved.
(3) 
Establish an incident command structure and relay the location to the County Control Center.
(4) 
Determine a response level for this incident (pursuant to guidelines as set forth in the Niagara County Hazardous Materials Response Plan) and follow the procedures as they are outlined.
A. 
Safe distances and places of refuge will be determined by the incident commander. Each incident will be evaluated upon its location and circumstances.
B. 
Places of refuge will also be determined by the location and magnitude of the incident and may include facilities, such as:
(1) 
Barker Fire Hall.
(2) 
Somerset Town Hall.
(3) 
Barker Central School.
C. 
The determination of a need for notification/evacuation/sheltering will be by the incident commander. Support will be provided through the Sheriff's Department, Niagara County Management Office, Red Cross, etc.
Site security and control will be designated by the incident commander and enforced by the Niagara County Sheriff's Department.
A. 
Evacuation routes and procedures will be determined by the incident commander. Each incident will be evaluated based upon its location and circumstances. The appropriate shelter will be designated. Notification will be both door-to-door and emergency vehicle public-address (PA) systems. Persons needing shelter will be directed or transported (if necessary) to the designated shelter.
B. 
Support will be provided by the Niagara County Sheriff's Department and the Niagara County Emergency Management Office, as well as the Red Cross, etc.
Decontamination will be at the direction of the incident commander and will be accomplished utilizing procedures as outlined within the Niagara County Hazardous Materials Response Plan.
Emergency medical treatment and first aid will be at the direction of the incident commander and provided, as needed, pursuant to procedures as outlined within the Niagara County Hazardous Materials Response Plan.
A. 
A HazMat declaration by the incident commander will require him to determine the response level, based on the criteria as outlined in the Niagara County Hazardous Materials Response Plan. The incident commander will direct the County Control Center to notify those people and agencies as he deems necessary to respond to the incident.
B. 
Alert will be done either by activation of the Community Alert Network (CAN System) and the Emergency Broadcast Network or by calling the television and radio stations to request their assistance.
C. 
The primary means of alerting will be to utilize the PA system on the police and fire vehicles. The procedure will be a five-second siren, followed by the announcement, twice. The unit will continue on and follow the same steps at approximately 250 feet from the prior stop. Notification may also be made by going door-to-door.
At a time agreed upon by the incident commander and the lead persons of each agency responding to an incident, there will be a critique of the event to discuss how to respond to similar incidents more safely and efficiently through the experience gained from the incident being addressed. The critique will also address how to present the current incident and any details that may need to be followed up on.
A. 
The Niagara County Sheriff's Department will respond pursuant to 29 CFR 1910.120(g)(6)(i). They will have no personal protection equipment (PPE). They will have mobile and portable radio communications equipment, marked and unmarked patrol units, barrier taps, etc.
B. 
The highway departments will respond pursuant to 29 CFR 1910.120(g)(6)(i). They will have no personal protection equipment. They will be utilized as support as requested by the incident commander.
C. 
The Fire Department will respond pursuant to 29 CFR 1910.120(g)(6)(ii). They will have personal protection equipment (PPE) and be trained as outlined in the aforementioned regulation.
The Town of Somerset recognizes the Niagara County Hazardous Materials Response Plan as the primary source for implementing a response to such an emergency. The Town of Somerset Hazardous Materials Response Plan is designated to operate in conjunction with a part of the overall County Plan.