ENVIRONMENTAL EMERGENCY SERVICES, INC

The Function of CHIT

CHIT provides technical advice during chemical incidents: hazardous material spills caused by transportation accidents, industrial releases, etc.

CHIT volunteers, recruited from local industries and colleges and trained by the corporation, are available to lend technical advice to emergency services personnel and municipalities during chemical incidents. The CHIT group is also available to engage in support activities such as training and public education, which assists response agencies and municipalities.

Team members possess experience in chemistry, environmental engineering, biology, toxicology, industrial safety and other fields.

This bank of knowledge is accessed in the following manner:

· The incident commander (usually the fire chief) at a hazardous material incident contacts the appropriate communications center (Chemung or Steuben County Emergency Management Office, Corning Fire Station) and requests CHIT assistance.

· The communications center dispatcher, using the CHIT contact roster, contacts the CHIT volunteers (minimum of three), giving all available information about the incident.

· The CHIT volunteers respond to the communications center, where radio or phone contact is established with the incident command. At the communications center, CHIT members can access a wealth of chemical information, using computer software, literature resources, etc., to aid in determining the hazard(s) presented at the incident scene. The CHIT serves in an advisory capacity of the incident command to help ensure safe, efficient handling of the incident. CHIT members are not expected to engage in containment or cleanup activities.