Purpose of this Blog

In November 1978 I attended a National Fire Protection Association training course on Handling Hazardous Materials Transportation Emergencies in Oklahoma City, OK. Following the course I developed a flowchart to help our response teams work with First Responders to manage responses to dangerous goods / hazardous materials emergencies. The flowchart, titled "A Disciplined Approach to Emergency Response" was based on concepts presented during the course but was modified and upgraded to help Canadian oil and chemical industry emergency response teams and First Responders more effectively handle transportation emergencies for all shipping modes.

That chart was shared with oil and chemical industry emergency response committees and with their help numerous upgrades and modifications have been made over the past thirty years. The chart is actively used in Canada, by some Exxon Mobile affiliates and it has been translated and is used in several countries throughout the world.

Although there are numerous versions of the chart in circulation there is no longer any coordination of upgrades among the various users. I previously provided that coordination and arranged centralized printing of the charts when working as an emergency response advisor for the chemical and oil divisions of Imperial Oil.

To help promote use of the Disciplined Approach to Emergency Response, to facilitate sharing recommended upgrades and sharing of resource material among the various users of the chart, I created a web site, this blog and some other resource materials. Please visit the web site at http://www.DA2ER.info

Stay tuned and follow this blog for more history on A Disciplined Approach to Emergency Response and upgrades which are currently being made to the process and charts.