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Thursday, 14 October 2010 13:00

Gear for Chemically Sticky Situations

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Photographs: Jonathan Snyder

Photographs: Jonathan Snyder

Exploded meth labs, overturned tanker trucks, strange envelopes filled with white powder … they’re all in a day’s work for Rob Schnepp. This Alameda County, California, fire chief literally wrote the book on how to deal with chemically sticky situations (Hazardous

Materials, Awareness and Operations), and he tours the world speaking on the subject. Here are a few tools of his trade. <![CDATA[ .compressStuff {float:left; width:200px;margin:0px 20px 10px 0px; border: 0px solid #000} .compressStuff p {margin:0px;} .compressStuff img {margin-bottom:12px;} ]]>
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Thermo Scientific FirstDefender Raman System
A device that instantly IDs anything from cocaine to nerve gas. It zaps the unidentified substance with a laser and reads the wavelength that bounces back to determine what the stuff is. $32,000

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Cyanokit Cyanide Antidote
The poison in smoke kills thousands of people every year. We could save some by injecting them immediately with a large dose of hydroxocobalamin, which neutralizes the cyanide belched out by structure fires. $750

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ONESuit Flash Protective Suit
This rig is made from a fluoropolymer that blocks fire and toxic chemicals. At around 13 pounds, it’s among the lightest of its kind on the market, though it still feels stiflingly hot inside. But it does come with free booties! $2,800



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Reactive Skin Decontamination Lotion
After a nerve gas attack, you’ll want a weapons-grade sponge bath. Each RSDL towelette is loaded with 2,3-butanedione monoxime and other ingredients that can destroy everything from sarin to VX. $20

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Ampco Sparkless Sledgehammer
When you’re hacking the door off a building that has a gas leak, a stray spark can really ruin your day. First responders use tools made from a copper alloy that won’t start a conflagration no matter how hard they are swung. $130

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AreaRAE Wireless Gas Surveillance Array
These gas monitors are essentially Wi-Fi-enabled smoke detectors. You pop in sensor modules that detect everything from cyanide to sulfur dioxide and then leave them near, say, an air vent to relay information back to you. $50,000

Authors: Aaron Rowe

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