The IAFC Hazardous Materials Committee is urging responders to educate themselves on the Chlorine Institute C-Kit and the benefits if offers responders to hazmat incidents. The C-Kit has for many years been an important tool for responders dealing with certain chlorine tank car or tank truck emergencies.
Last week’s derailment and explosion of rail freight cars carrying ethanol in Columbus, Ohio, has spurred an increase in the distribution of misleading information, which is intended to discredit the C-Kit while marketing a proprietary technology.
While the derailment incident in Columbus had no relation to the issue, advertisements containing factual errors about the C-Kit appeared in the national media and there was an uptick in questions to the committee concerning the emergency kit immediately following the incident.
“My fear is that the false accusations like the ones in the Washington Post may prevent our responders from deploying the C-Kit when it’s actually needed,” said Chief Bob Royal, chair of the IAFC Hazmat Committee. “Any manufacture may promote their product, but marketing is not always factual. It is the responsibilities of fire chiefs and their responders to make sure they can separate fact from fiction and put the right tools in place for both public and responder safety.”
The C-Kit was developed to provide a tool to respond in a standardized and planned way to a chlorine emergency for which its use is appropriate. It was developed by the Chlorine Institute, which has no financial or proprietary interest in the product.
Anyone with questions or concerns about the C-Kit or chlorine-related emergency response should direct them to Hazmat Committee chair Chief Bob Royal or staff liaison John Woulfe.