By Andrew Brophy
Connecticut Post Online
Copyright 2007 MediaNews Group, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
FAIRFIELD, Conn. — The Fire Department’s new hazardous materials identification unit has been pressed into service after only a few weeks.
The $80,000 machine, one of only four in the state, was given to the department last month by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The equipment can detect the identity or chemical makeup of powders or liquids within seconds, said Assistant Fire Chief Scott Bisson.
In the past, firefighters who responded to a report of a potentially hazardous material, such as white powder on an envelope, had to send a sample of the material to the State Police to be tested and results wouldn’t be available for up to 72 hours, Bisson said.
But the new machine enables firefighters to determine the substance’s identity in the field. “It gives you an idea of what you’re dealing with It allows us to gear down our response very quickly if it’s harmless,” Bisson said.
Firefighters used the machine to investigate a recent suspicious powder at a local business that turned out to be calcium carbonate, he said.
Bisson wouldn’t elaborate on the incident because, while the powder was harmless, the intent of the person who left it was criminal and the case is under investigation.
The machine, called Hazmat ID Chemical Identification System, manufactured in Danbury, also is available for use in area communities through mutual aid agreements, Bisson said.
“If they called for a specialized piece of equipment, we could certainly transport it up there with a technician,” Bisson said.
The machine is stored at Fire Station 2 on Jennings Road because the shift commander is based there, Bisson said.
Three firefighters are trained to use the machine so far, and Bisson said he hopes to have 25 trained within the next few months.
The unit is about the size of a briefcase and housed in a water-resistant case. It bombards an unknown solid or liquid with infrared radiation and uses a database of 5,000 chemical makeups to identify a substance placed on it, Bisson said.
“It comes up with a chemical fingerprint. Stored in the computer are 5,000 fingerprints we respond to,” Bisson said.
In some instances, the exact name of a substance, such as Tums or Drano, will come up. In other cases, the machine reveals the substance’s components, which allows firefighters to determine the best course of treatment, Bisson said.
First Selectman Kenneth Flatto said he is “pleased our town department was selected as the first in the area to utilize this equipment.”
“It’s fascinating how technology is enabling first responders to do more faster to protect the community. This technology is going to allow them to diagnose potential incidents in a rapid manner,” Flatto said.