Vol. 465 No. 2
99 Mr. Leonard asked the Minister for the Environment whether the attention of the fire authorities has been drawn to the range of dangerous or potentially dangerous chemicals in use in Irish industry; and whether the fire authorities are adequately equipped and trained to deal with the spillages of such materials. [8783/96]
It is the responsibility of each fire authority to provide for the training and equipping of its fire service to deal effectively with the various risks it may encounter, including those arising from hazardous substances. To assist fire authorities in this matter, my Department has issued extensive guidance at various times on pertinent matters such as hazard analysis, risk assessment and testing of emergency plans. Emphasis has been placed on the importance of pre-incident planning and the guidance given has been supplemented through seminars and courses organised by the Fire Services Council for senior fire officers. The council's hazardous materials course and ship and port fires course provide specialised training on the identification of hazardous materials, in addition to the provision of full-scale practical response exercises.
Emergency Services Hazards, which provide useful information on dangerous substances, have been issued by my Department to fire authorities to distribute to fire fighters and other personnel who may be involved in responding to emergencies. In addition, many local authorities have access to the CHEM-DATA computer information system on dangerous substances.
