Analyzing the Incident: Maria Duazo

The Hazmat Legends Series presents more than 25 nationally recognized leading hazmat responders - with more than 900 years of combined boots on the ground experience. As influential instructors, widely read authors and hazmat responders, they have seen it all and now in this exciting and comprehensive series, they explain how and why hazmat teams do the things they do. These exciting programs cover it all - whether you have new recruits to train or want to provide a stimulating refresher for your team.

Whether you are trained to the operations, technician or command level, the first task of every first responder to a hazmat or WMD emergency is the same. It's size up - or what the NFPA standard on hazmat competencies calls Analyzing the Incident. A systematic risk-based response begins with an analysis of the problem - assessing the hazards, evaluating the potential consequences and then choosing the best response actions.

Maria Duazo is a Hazmat Specialist and emergency responder with the Contra Costa Health Services Department and often takes the role of Public Information Officer for the agency. She conducts hazmat programs on chemical safety and is an outreach instructor with the California Specialized Training Institute. She is also a past recipient of the California Fire Marshal's Instructor of the Year award. In this clip, Maria discusses how details of the incident can help in sizing up the unknowns of the hazardous materials involved.

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