2024 CHLOREP Annual Team Training
Training Curriculum
The CHLOREP Team Training curriculum is specifically focused on chlor-alkali emergency response considerations, including chemical properties, health effects and exposure limits; emergency capping kit application; and various incident scenarios involving certain CI mission chemicals.
With this being “CHLOREP” training, learning objectives are concentrated primarily around chlorine incidents that occur in transportation or at end-user facilities (consistent with the CHLOREP mission and scope). The training does not generally cover chlor-alkali facility operations, such as guidelines on loading/unloading, package/material selection, or incident prevention. The objective of this training is to prepare students for responding to a chlorine emergency that occurs while in transit or at an end-user customer site (such as a water treatment plant).
The week is a mix of classroom (about 25% of the time) and field exercises (about 75% of the time). This is not a beginner’s course for hazmat emergency response training.
Pre-Requisite Knowledge
Students are expected to have a certain level of preliminary training and familiarity prior to arriving at CHLOREP Team Training to enable instructors to focus on the primary objectives of the training week. The following includes topics that students are expected to be familiar with prior to arrival.
General Hazmat Emergency Response Training
Students should have already undergone a basic level of hazmat emergency response training, such as baseline elements required by OSHA’s HAZWOPER standards in 29 CFR 1910.120.
PPE Familiarity
Companies should ensure that students have a familiarity with PPE, including how the PPE is donned that is typically used with responding to chlorine emergencies. PPE of focus includes Level A suits, Enhanced Level B suits, Level B suits, and SCBAs.
Incident Command
While the concept of Incident Command is addressed in specific exercises/presentations, it is not a primary focus of the CHLOREP Training. Therefore, students are expected to have completed Incident Command training prior to attending CHLOREP Team Training.
The recommended training course is ICS-100, Introduction to the Incident Command System, which is administered by FEMA Emergency Management Institute. ICS-100 course details and links to take the interactive web-based course and corresponding online exam can be found here: https://training.fema.gov/is/courseoverview.aspx?code=IS-100.b.
An equivalent or higher-level training is acceptable. There is not a certain period of time in advance of 2024 training that the student could have completed this training. In other words, it is acceptable if the student has taken some form of ICS training at any point in time prior to CHLOREP Training and remains familiar with the topic.
A copy of the student’s ICS training certificate must be submitted no later than April 25, 2024. If the ICS certificate cannot be found, an email can be sent stating when and through what means (online training, in-person training, etc.) the student completed the ICS. ICS Training certificates (or equivalent details) should be emailed to Brooke Lobdell (blobdell@cl2.com).
Participation Expectations
Students must be an active participant the entire week in order to take the final exam and receive a training certificate. The following are the expectations for student participation.
Medical Criteria
Since much of CHLOREP Training requires physical activity, students should be in appropriate condition that allows them to physically participate in field exercises. Activities include donning PPE (including SCBAs), applying chlorine emergency kits on various equipment, moving various response equipment, climbing on railcars and tank trucks, and performing tasks in dark and/or smokey conditions. Not all exercises involve all these activities. The student will be asked to acknowledge their understanding and ability to participate from a health perspective in the Medical Qualification of the registration form.
There will be a medical monitoring team at each field station to measure student vitals at the beginning of each exercise. Following are the criteria that will be used to determine if a student is in the condition to complete the required tasks.
- Primary Criteria:
- Blood Pressure – Diastolic between 60 – 100 mmHg
- Pulse – Maximum heart rate of 115 beats per minute (or no irregular rhythms previously detected)
- Respiration – Maximum rate of 24 breathes per minute
- Other Disqualifying Criteria:
- Altered mental status (e.g., slurred speech, clumsiness, weakness, acts impaired with or without alcohol)
- Open sores, large skin rashes, or significant sunburn
- Recent onset of heart or lung problems, hypertension, diabetes, etc.
- Nausea, vomiting, fever, or heat exhaustion within the last 72 hours
- Heavy alcohol consumption within the previous 24 hours or any alcohol within the past 2 hours
If a student does not meet these criteria before entering an exercise, they will be asked to sit out. They may have the opportunity to still participate if the condition resolves itself within the exercise rotation time. A student will not automatically be disqualified from training if this occurs at a single exercise. He/She may have an opportunity to participate in less physical ways of a particular exercise.
Instructors will determine case-by-case if this occurs frequently enough for an individual to recommend that he/she seeks medical attention, after which the student might be allowed to continue participating in exercises under a doctor’s guidance. If the student is unable to continue participating in the exercises, he/she might be disqualified from completing the training week.
Companies should only send students that can meet these criteria. Students that desire to attend training but have a chronic condition, such as high blood pressure, are encouraged to see their primary care physician for the proper medication (or other treatment) and clearance to participate in the training activities. Students should inform the medical monitoring team of their use of prescription medication and over-the-counter medicines (e.g., decongestants, antihistamines, etc.) prior to beginning an exercise.
Students should bring their own safety equipment, including a hard hat (no bump caps), sturdy work boots with a defined heel (boots do not have to be steel toed if they are at least sturdy), safety glasses, work gloves and rain gear if needed. PPE suits and respirators will be provided at training when they are needed. Long pants are required for all field exercises. Students may wear a short or long-sleeved shirt and baseball/trucker hat (if desired).
Active Participation
Companies should only send students that intend to be an active participant in training exercises throughout the week. It is unacceptable for students to “take a back seat” during exercises. This may include behavior such as:
- Not interacting with his/her group in an exercise
- Separating himself/herself a distance away from the instruction while at a station
- Departing from a field station for an extended amount of time (i.e., walking around the grounds, sitting in the car, taking a long break in the classroom, leaving the academy grounds during training hours, etc.).
- Other similar behavior
If the type of behavior noted above is observed with a student, CI staff or instructors will first provide a warning to the student. If the student continues the behavior through the week, CI staff or instructors have the right to excuse the student from training and not allow him/her to take the final exam for a participation certificate. Only active participants who pass the exam will receive a certificate. CI staff will provide notice to the company’s primary contact(s) if this action is taken and brief reasoning for the action.
Travel & Hotel Info:
The closest airport is Jackson International Airport (JAN). While the airport, hotels, and MSFA are generally local, they are not within easy walking distance of each other. It would be wise to secure a rental car or coordinate rides with other attendees. Students are responsible for making their own hotel reservations. Hotel details, including CI rates and reservation links, are listed below and on the registration site.
Please use one of the hotels listed below, so we can preserve our group discount.
Holiday Inn Trustmark Park Hotel - $129 + tax
110 Bass Pro Drive
Pearl, MS 39208
Link: https://bit.ly/HolidayInn24
Courtyard by Marriott Pearl/Jackson Airport - $129 + tax
415 Riverwind Drive
Pearl, Mississippi 39208
Link: https://bit.ly/Courtyard24
Fairfield by Marriott Pearl/Jackson Airport - $114 + tax
407 Riverwind Drive
Pearl, Mississippi 39208
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