Public safety personnel now outfitted with protective suits

Published 10:49 pm Thursday, March 23, 2006

The silver suits look more fitting for a walk on the moon than protection from dangerous chemicals.

But local emergency officials say the suits could have made a huge difference following a chemical spill two years ago in Dalton.

The suits, along with face masks and gloves, were handed out to Whitfield County police and fire departments Thursday morning. The suits were paid for by a $43,000 grant from the Georgia Emergency Management Agency.

“If we’d had these suits two years ago we probably would not have had officers and ambulance crews being sent to the hospital,” said Whitfield County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) Director Carl Collins.

One hundred and fifty masks with canisters and 180 suits were distributed to police, ambulance and fire department representatives in Whitfield County. Representatives from the Dalton Fire Department, Tunnel Hill Police Department, Varnell Police Department, Dalton Police Department, Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office and Whitfield County Emergency Medical Services took a short training class on the equipment.

The spill at MFG Manufacturing in April 2004 sent 150 people to the hospital and prompted criticism from the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) on how the spill was handled by local officials.

The CSB said in November 2004 that a “variety of problems surfaced during the more than 16 hours between the beginning of the release and the final sealing of the reactor.”

CSB lead investigator John Vorderbrueggen said, “Dalton firefighters and police put their lives on the line going into the affected area, trying to contain the release and helping residents to evacuate. However, they lacked the equipment, training and hazard information needed to effectively and safely respond to this kind of incident.” The CSB has not released a final report.

The new suits should protect emergency workers who may have to evacuate or transport people during a chemical spill, Collins said.

“We have enough to put on the fire trucks, ambulances and in the patrol cars of the local police agencies,” Collins said.

Police departments will receive 50 “smart strips.” The strips change colors to show what kind of chemical is being released.

“We have three state highways and two major rail lines running through our city so we can have a potential chemical disaster at any time,” said Varnell Police Chief Tim Henderson. “We appreciate the county getting these suits for us so we can protect our personnel and the public in case the worst happens.”