APARTMENT GUIDE 4
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MONDAY, APRIL 18,2011
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Hazmat-trained firefighters assess the situation in the Allen Fieldhouse parking garage earlier this month. The suspicious material turned out to be fuel for a remote-controlled engine left by a KU student.
used in a remote control engine — the incident illustrates precautions that the University and Lawrence-Douglas County Fire and Medical take when responding to reports of hazardous materials.
"Wealwaysay, 'when in doubt, get out, and call for help," said Mike Russell, director of KU Environmental Health and Safety.
Drive, are the hazmat experts. Lawrence-Douglas County Fire and Medical Division Chief Doug Green said these firefighters go through monthly exercises and an 80 hour Hazmat training course. Firefighters take the course through the Kansas State
"Our number one priority is life safety."
The "call for help," which Russell said can be made either
DOUG GREEN
Lawrence-Douglas County Fire
and Medical Division Chief
First dispatchers, who are often trained in identifying hazardous material situations, determine the seriousness of the call. If the caller reports a non-serious situation on campus, such as spilled gasoline, trained KU EHS employees clean it up. If the situation is more serious, dispatch notifies emergency units and sends them to the scene.
to KU EHS or 911, sets off a chain of highly structured responses by emergency crews.
"Ninety-nine percent of any response to a call like that is a law enforcement unit and fire units," Russell said. "They are going to be rolling to the scene just because they've got to get the right people
Fire Marshal's Office to become certified as hazmat technicians by Kansas Fire Rescue and Training.
KU EHS and KU public safety will also be noti
fited of the situation through dispatch, and respond. The responding units then set up a command station where the units will formulate a plan.
In the case of last week's hazmat call, the bottle was labeled biodiesel and heptane, a fuel additive and solvent. At the time of the call it was unknown if heptane was dangerous or if that was even what the bottle contained.
While the first steps of the hazmat process are fairly consistent, the next steps are full of
"Hazmats are usually one of those things that go real quick. It's hurry up and wait," Green said. "Our number one priority is life safety."
variables. Some hazardous materials take days to clean up, while others take a few hours. In the parking garage situation, respondents cleared the area, sealed the bottle in another container and it was taken from the scene within an hour.
AT THE READY
What does not vary is who foots the bill. Green said a hazmat call to Lawrence-Douglas County Fire and Medical is treated like any other emergency call. The University does not pay for extra service from the city of Lawrence or Douglas County. It does, however, pay for KU EHS employees
Green said each hazardous material case is unique. The cleanup time and the number of fire trucks, police cars, ambulances or hazardous material trucks dispatched varies on the severity of the case.
Green said this variability makes it difficult to assign a specific cost to a hazardous material call.
What is a hazardous material?
A hazardous material is anything that can cause physical damage,but usually,in the campus context,it refers to dangerous chemicals.
MIKE RUSSELL Director of KU Environmental Health and Safety
who clean up the materials or assist in the process. Lawrence Douglas County Fire and Medical has an operating budget of $13,422,605 this year.
Regardless of costs, the KU EHS and hazmat teams are ready to respond to situations large and small.
"We get a lot of calls and the majority of those calls are not big events or have any severe or negative outcomes," Russell said.
records of hazmat incidents on campus, they deal with about one large or labor-intensive call a year. Russell said that the incident at the parking garage did not count as such a call.
Russell also said that, although KU EHS does not keep compiled
Russell did not provide the student's name, and no charges were filed. He thought the bottle had been returned to either the student or his professor.
"Between us and the professor, Russell said, "he got raked over the coals."
Edited by Dave Boyd
INDEX
62 39 Mostly Cloudy
WEATHER
WEDNESDAY
55 39
Chance of Rain
Classifieds...6A
Crossword...4A
Cryptquips...4A
5850
TODAY
THURSDAY
Mostly Cloudy
Mostly Cloudy
Forecasts by University students. For a complete detailed forecast for the week, see page 2A
Chance of Rain
All contents, unless stated otherwise, © 2011 The University Daily Kansan
Earles
LOCAL|6A
The Merc does away with plastic for good
After surveying its customers, the local grocery store decided to eliminate plastic sacks in favor of paper or cloth options. The new effort to be more sustainable coincides with this year's Earth Week.
Brandon Woodard, a sophomore from Topeka and member of DLP, said the Greek community at the University is very welcoming and supportive toward his fraternity.
always wanted to ask life in college. arriving at the examining frater-aid he was reluctas a gay man in process. That is, we him an idea.
week life?" and KU alum-
elongo, told him
that they both
portable in, Delta
according to its
a national fra-
decoming of gay,
gressive men-
ry 2009, Earles
started the
ing DLP to the
onths later, DLP
registered
members. After
pledge class.
"Would you date your brother?" he said.
'eek life."
es as a colony, DLP will become an official chapter April 30. There are 28 DLP members at the University.
Denesha Morris' decision to come to Kansas from her home country allowed her to experience many shocking firsts, including snow and indoor tracks.
Earles said some people think members are hooking up or dating each other, but the fraternity has a rule that requires all relationships within the fraternity to be strictly platonic. Godfrey Riddle, a senior from Olathe and social activities coordinator of DLP, said the pledge process members go through creates strong fraternal bonds that are one of sexual tension.
N
Earles, who is president of the fraternity, said DLP is no different than other fraternities besides the fact that all the members are gay. He said they host socials, practice philanthropy, and have academic and community service requirements.
TRACK AND FIELD | 8A
From Jamaica to Lawrence
"There are way more similarities in our house with other houses than differences," he said.
CHRIS HONG
ing@kansan.com
ITIES
SIMILARITIES, NOT DIFFERENCES
oda
rings
ething
to
life
SEE FRAT ON PAGE 3A
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