Glossary / Emergency response
First responder
A first responder is a trained person who is among the first to arrive at an emergency, such as a chemical spill or fire, to protect lives and limit the spread of the incident. This includes fire fighters, police and emergency medical staff, and trained workplace response team members.
Explanation
First responders face unknown conditions. They often arrive without full knowledge of what is released, how much, or how it is behaving. Their first tasks are generally to recognize that hazardous materials may be present, stay at a safe distance, secure the area, protect themselves, call for specialist help and keep unprotected people away.
Identification tools help. A Placard, container label, shipping paper or SDS can name the material and its hazards. Responders use the Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG) to find initial isolation distances and basic actions, and can contact CHEMTREC for further information. Medical staff may consult Poison control center about treatment.
Training matters because different roles need different skills. Some responders are trained to recognize a release and call for help, others to take defensive actions such as diking or blocking drains, and specialists to stop the leak itself. Higher levels of training come with more demanding Personal protective equipment (PPE) and may require SCBA and chemical protective suits. The applicable rules for training levels are set by occupational safety authorities.
Workers can help responders by passing on accurate information: the product name, quantity, location, people who may be affected and the SDS. Facilities should give emergency services access to chemical inventories and site plans in advance. After the incident, responders and any exposed people may need Decontamination.
What to do and watch for
- Stay upwind and at a safe distance until the hazard is identified.
- Give responders the product name, location, quantity and SDS as soon as possible.
- Do not act beyond your training, even in a rush to help.
Where it appears on an SDS
- Section 5: Fire-fighting measures. Provides fire-fighting advice and special protective equipment for responders, such as breathing apparatus.
- Section 6: Accidental release measures. Describes emergency procedures and precautions for people dealing with a release.
SDS content and wording vary by supplier. This page is general reference and does not replace the current SDS for your product.