The Unwired Medic

Teaching EMS providers & other public safety pros about using mobile tech to improve their practice, patient care, continuing education, scene safety, general entertainment, & productivity.

Emergency Response Guide 2012 Now Available

| 7 Comments

Emergency Response Guidebook - 2012 edition
Emergency Response Guidebook – 2012 edition – image by PHMSA

It has finally been released…

The 2012 edition of the Emergency Response Guide, that orange book that is required to be placed in every emergency vehicle in the country.  The last ambulance service I worked for had editions from 2000 under the bench seat, where it would be difficult to read if an actual need arose.  After much poking and prodding at the Logistics and Safety Officers, I got them to finally upgrade to the latest edition for 2008.  The winning part of the arguement was that they books are free to emergency services.  Just visit this page to learn how you can get them for your agency: http://phmsa.dot.gov/portal/site/PHMSA/menuitem.ebdc7a8a7e39f2e55cf2031050248a0c/?vgnextoid=ebfeca57e196d110VgnVCM1000009ed07898RCRD&vgnextchannel=d248724dd7d6c010VgnVCM10000080e8a8c0RCRD&vgnextfmt=print

Training with it…

As a training officer, I make it part of my role to take new hires and quiz them as we are driving down the roads and freeways.  For example, you could make a task out of using the book.  For every tanker truck, train tank car, or warehouse site with placards you pass, you can have your probie identify what the placard is, reference it, tell you how to deal with the initial response and what the properties of the agent are (foam, water, barriers, corrosive, caustic, etc.).  Then for more fun, have them identify what type of tanker it is from the shape of the tanker.  Is it an agro tanker, does it contain wet or dry goods, is it food safe or compatible with specific categories of chemicals, etc.  The end result of all this is familiarity with how to use the resource in a crisis.  It’s a bad idea to try to learn to use a fire extinguisher when your house is already on fire.  The corollary to this is that it’s a bad idea to try to figure out how to use this book when there is an incident you are about to walk into.

Digital versions…

Not so long ago, the agencies that are responsible for this sometimes incredibly useful text created and released a .pdf version, so you can have a permanent copy on your smartphone, tablet, or laptop.  My advice is to get it and do just that.  The .pdf versions are searchable, so you can type the ID number or chemical name and it will lead you right to the correct page to learn about the agent you’ve encountered.

Get the free .pdf version here: http://phmsa.dot.gov/staticfiles/PHMSA/DownloadableFiles/Files/Hazmat/ERG2012.pdf

There is an app update from the ERG2008 to the now current edition for Windows devices, but it isn’t expected to be updated until later in the summer this year.  The main page has a link to it if you would like to check it out.  Of course if you don’t wave a Windows device, there are alternatives.  First, let me disclaim that you should not BUY any apps in iTunes or Google Play stores.  Most of them aren’t well rated anyway, plus the information is free via the .pdf and all the office productivity suites have the ability to open and search .pdf’s, plus Adobe Reader for your device is free.  There are a few other apps out there that offer this information free that aren’t from the folks at PHMSA, so make sure you view the permissions on their apps (hint: they shouldn’t be asking for ANY special permissions).  This information is also covered completely along with many other topics on hazardous materials response in the WISER app available for Blackberry, Android, and iPhone.  Check out the USAGov apps page at http://apps.usa.gov/wiser-wireless-information-system-for-emergency-responders.shtml or go directly to the WISER website at http://wiser.nlm.nih.gov/index.html to learn about using it on PC, Mac and Linux, Palm, and older Windows Mobile (not Windows Phone yet) operating systems.  I’m presently awaiting a response from the folks that administrate WISER as to whether or not it includes the new ERG2012 updates, or when they will be integrated.  Check back to read about their response to my query, which I will add as an addendum to this article. [ADDENDUM 06/12/12: WISER admins contacted me and unfortunately, they have not yet updated the content from ERG2008, but it is on the books to happen. They also do not have an anticipated date of release to the updates, so keep checking back with the app store on your device.  They also do not have any short term plans to make a Windows Phone version, but should the user market spike soon for WP7+, they will create the app.]

In closing…

Do you have a favorite response app that you’d like to share with others or want me to evaluate and post a review on (any phone platform is available to me)?  Please leave a comment below.  I’d love to hear from you.

In the meantime, please be safe and make it home safely after every shift!  I appreciate you and all you do for our communities and country!

7 Comments

Leave a Reply

Required fields are marked *.