Here is a livestream about the evolving #GardenGrove chemical disaster, and the geography of pollution. We share some tools to learn about things like chemical factories and other dangerous facilities near where you live. https://www.youtube.com/live/g1sJgGwbcHU?si=7lWoX4JzToEHgnEO
Keyboard I.C. here..
Why are we needing to send humans into that zone of potential death / BLEVE to put eyes on a crack or rupture? Where the heck are the drones OR those walking DARPA Dog robot things OR bomb squad robot to get an HD picture of that tank and any cracks to send back to icp? What am i missing here?
Per this evening’s press conference, there is longer a threat of a BLEVE.
The word from the team was that the drone was unable to retrieve clear enough pictures. I believe because of the water flow the pictures quality were poor.
Better news for sure..
Still get the creeps seeing troop’s in bunker gear poking around on that tank but my specialty is in wildland so for sure i’m missing a lot of SA. Wouldn’t bomb squad type ppe be more appropriate - at least for the individual(s) tasked with the poking/probing of a potential BLEVE container? 
Without checking, pretty sure if not toxic, or corrosive gas and flammable vapors is the greatest threat… turnouts. seems like bomb suit would keep you mostly together but likely unaware of the 100 yd+ flight.
It ain’t no funky reggae party
I was more than a little bit, surprised that they weren’t in level A. Yes, the nature of the chemicals involved over-ride wearing the standard structural PPE. And a bomb suit would not be much help with the size of the potential BLEVE. So, although that decision would be made by the Haz-Mat Safety/TechRef, who is far more qualified then myself, I was surprised. Obviously it was well researched.
Update form officials…
One last thing about my feelings/unease with watching “us” send a squad of humans (in the same’ol bunker gear) into that haz-mat scene to go poking around on that tank. I cant stop thinking that it would sure be good to not have to go through blowing responders up to make BIG/Paradigm change for the better in our approach to safety culture & ppe upgrades.
I know there are other industries & professions that utilize very advanced tools and gear that may/may not be classified or reserved for a certain specific uses despite their potential to be used in private/public sector emergency response.
Another way to put it - why does it take death or injuring human responders to leverage needed change for the better? I’ll be glad when this incident is wrapped and something tells me so will the troops who had to go hands on with that tank!
I’m not trying to debate the wisdom of making the entry. There’s not enough information for that.
After some research, for this product, if a recon is justified, there must not be a chance of getting hit by liquid splash, or a dense vapor cloud present. Turnouts is the right choice due to very low flash point, wide flammable range, and heavier than air.
From HazMat Spec training, you dont want to wear level A shrink wrap where a flash fire is possible. If the chemical risk is too high for turnouts, no entry is the call.
From the Emergency Response Guide:
"PROTECTIVE CLOTHING
· Wear positive pressure self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).
· Structural firefighters’ protective clothing provides thermal protection but only limited chemical protection."