The NFPA printed an article in their March-April 2017 NFPA Journal that anyone involved in hazardous materials should read. The piece highlights a mobile app -- The HAZMAT FLIC App -- for field use. The HAZMAT FLIC App, as described by the NFPA, “provides the on-scene incident commander with pertinent guidance materials for managing emergency responses for high-hazard flammable train and liquid petroleum pipeline emergencies.”
We asked our hazmat project specialist, James Rist, to check out the app and give his feedback. Here is what he had to say:
As incident commanders, we are always looking for ways to jog our memory and assist us in managing the next non-routine incident. Incidents with hazardous materials are becoming more routine and expected; however, rail-related and pipeline incidents will never be routine. We just do not see that many of them, and thankfully that will not change. Rail and pipeline are this country’s two safest ways to ship hazardous materials.
Besides valuable information and incident specific content, the app has a checklist based on the first operational period and, according to Rist, “the best I have seen in a long time.”
Moreover, not only is it a great checklist, it can easily be modified into your first Incident Action Plan (IAP). Further commenting on the usability of the app, Rist said,
I am retired now, but I wish that I had access to something like this when I was an Incident Commander (IC). So much so that I put it on my phone to familiarize myself with the features so that I can better train current ICs
This app should be complimented with the Association of American Railroads AskRail TM App which will assist the IC with the immediate access to a train car’s product and consist.
The HAZMAT FLIC App can be downloaded for both iOS and Android devices.
Steven Ilchishin is a program specialist in the IAFC Hazmat Center.