HAZARDOUS MATERIALS INCIDENT

Date & Time: Friday, October 24, 2008 – 4:34 p.m.

Location: Eggerts Crossing Village, 175 Johnson Avenue, Lawrence Township, N.J.

Details: At 4:34 p.m. Lawrence Road Fire Co. and the Trenton Fire Department’s hazardous materials team were dispatched at the request of police officers who had discovered 17 bottles containing unknown chemicals after they arrested a man for drug-related offenses. Deputy Chief John Fleming, closely followed by Chief Richard Farletta and Rescue 22, arrived to find that police had placed the bottles on the sidewalk outside an apartment. The area near the bottles was secured and residents of the apartment complex were kept at a safe distance. The HazMat team arrived at 4:51 p.m. and members of Rescue 22’s crew helped HazMat team members suit up. A hoseline from Rescue 22 was also stretched as preparation for decontamination. Wearing full Level B protective suits, Trenton firefighters Frank Wilcox and Anthony Moran then entered the hot zone, and used a portable computer and other high-tech equipment to analyze the bottles’ contents. Ultimately, the contents were identified as toluene, dimethylamine, caesium hydroxide and other flammable and corrosive chemicals. A representative of the state Department of Environmental Protection responded to the scene to supervise the removal of the chemicals by a clean-up contractor. While they admitted some of the chemicals could be used in a makeshift methamphetamine lab, authorities said they were unsure why the suspect was in possession of the chemicals. Following decontamination, all units cleared the scene just after 7 p.m. and Rescue 22 was back in quarters by 7:21 p.m.

Responding LRFC Personnel

Rescue 22

Officer: Lt. Richard Laird III	Driver: Ff. Shaun Dlabik
Crew: Lt. Joseph Dlabik Jr.	Crew: Ff. Ryan Dlabik
Crew: Ff. Keith Kent	Crew: Ff. Charles Commini Sr.
Crew: Ff. Steven Hodgdon

Car 22

Chief Richard Farletta

Car 22-1

Deputy Chief John Fleming

All photos copyright (c) 2008 by Michael Ratcliffe