Hazardous Materials Hotline©
October 13, 2026
What’s in the Wind
Two reports of interest concerning the weather. First, NOAAs Flood Mapping Tool now includes nearly 100% of the United States. The second report details the shifting of Tornado Alley to include more of the United States.
Discussion: Hazardous materials response during and following disasters is becoming common. Hazardous materials teams and emergency planners should plan for disaster deployment operations and include them in their planning assumptions and training.
PHMSA News
PHMSA is announcing the release of multiple federal grants related to pipeline and hazardous materials safety and are hosting a meeting to discuss multimodal transportation of hazardous materials.
Discussion: PHMSA continues to work to reduce the frequency and impact of hazardous materials incidents and responders and emergency managers should remail aware of their activities.
WTC Report
The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) has released a report looking at the medical impact of the September 11 attacks and the lessons learned from the WTC Health Program.
Discussion: The impact of September 11 on the responders, support personnel, and people living and working near the impact sites continues to reverberate through to today. The lessons learned will help when other similar incidents occur and long-term medical issues arise.
NTSB Accident Report
The National Transportation Safety Board has released its report on the Steffens Auto Part Store explosion and fire.
Discussion: The incident originated as a smell of gas call. Emergency responder and team leaders should examine this report to identify areas for improved response, alignment with standard operating guidelines, and potential areas of failure that may lead to critical incidents in their communities and take steps, including training and revising operating guidelines, to address areas of concern.
CDC Fire Safety Tool Box
NIOSH has created Fire Safety Tool Box Talks, such as this single page document on the hazards of fire at construction sites, They provide short, concise fire safety messages for both responders and community members.
Discussion: While response is a focus, prevention of incidents remains the most effective and efficient means of improving community risk.
Chemical of the Week and IAB Podcast
The InterAgency Board continues to host the chemical of the week (COW) which is released every Monday and bi-monthly and special release podcasts along with the Hazardous Materials Hot Line archive. They make for great training and situational awareness.
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About the Author:
Dave Donohue is a hazardous materials course developer, educator, and trainer with experience at the local, regional and national level. He is also a Master Exercise Practitioner, firefighter, and emergency manager.
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