Res 2025-183 requesting Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) approval of a proposed non-radioactive hazardous materials (NRHM) transport route, generally located along FM110

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San Marcos Fire Department San Marcos Fire Department Policy Manual Hazardous Materials Response HAZMAT incident and formulate an initial Incident Action Plan (IAP). While it may be necessary to take immediate action to make a rescue or evacuate an area, any action should be taken with an awareness of the risk to department personnel and making appropriate use of available protective equipment. It is important to avoid the premature commitment of personnel to potentially hazardous locations. In some cases, isolating the incident and denying entry until more resources arrive may be the safest approach. In assessing the incident, all available references should be used to determine the hazards that are or potentially could be present. These references may include, but are not limited to, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Emergency Response Guidebook, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards, Safety Data Sheets (SDS), HAZMAT business plans, manifests or bills of lading, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) placards, U.S. DOT placards and United Nations Substance Identification Numbers. Other sources of information may be available, such as the Chemical Transportation Emergency Center (CHEMTRECO), facility personnel, department specialists or manufacturers of the materials involved. The hazards presented by a HAZMAT incident may change significantly as the materials interact with other materials, the surrounding environment and the actions taken by responders. Responders should consider site topography, surroundings, other potential hazards and prevailing weather conditions. The initial perimeter established for the incident may need to be expanded to establish the appropriate control zones for the response (e.g., exclusion zone, contamination reduction zone, support zone). 317.5 INCIDENT ACTION PLAN The primary goal of the IAP will be to protect the safety of the public and responders. The initial IAP should focus on identifying a safe approach for other arriving units, determining the type of hazard and the scope of the incident, isolating the area and denying entry to the public, determining incident -specific personal protective equipment (PPE) and initiating notifications. The initial IAP may be a written document or may be notes kept and controlled by the Incident Commander (IC). The initial IAP should include the following minimum information: (a) Incident name, agency or unified command and command post location. (b) Information for responding units on the best route of travel, staging locations and minimum isolation distances to maintain the safety of responding members. (c) The information available on the products involved or an indication that the products are not yet known. (d) The incident control objectives and goals. (e) An incident site safety plan and designation of an Incident Safety Officer. (f) A communications plan including radio frequencies and contact telephone numbers. Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2025/06/30, All Rights Reserved. Hazardous Materials Response - 2 Published with permission by San Marcos Fire Department