• Emergency response personnel, in ascending order of responsibility, include awareness-level first responders, operations-level first responders, hazardous materials technicians, and hazardous materials specialists.
• Other personnel from the facility and from outside organizations and agencies (such as government and emergency services) may also be involved in emergency response.

Besides the on-scene incident commander and command staff, other people are needed to take care of an incident. That’s where emergency response personnel come in.

Roles and responsibilities in an emergency response effort can vary greatly depending on the amount of training each employee has received. All employees must know the requirements and limits of their duties in any emergency response effort. Anyone who takes actions beyond the limits of their work role may put people in harm’s way.

In addition to the incident commander, there are four additional main roles:

• Awareness-level first responder
• Operations-level first responder
• Hazardous materials technician
• Hazardous materials specialist

Awareness-level first responder

First responders at the awareness level are the individuals who witness or discover a hazardous substance release and initiate the emergency response by notifying the proper authorities. As the title indicates, their role is awareness rather than action — they do not do anything to stop or control the release.

An awareness-level first responder must be able to:

• Recognize the presence of a hazardous substance in an emergency,
• Know how to identify the substance,
• Understand the risks associated with each incident,
• Realize the need for additional resources, and
• Make appropriate notifications.

Operations-level first responder

First responders at the operations level respond to protect nearby people, property, and the environment without trying to stop the release. Working from a safe distance, these responders take defensive action to keep the release from spreading and prevent exposures.

An operations-level first responder must be able to do what a first responder at the awareness level can do, and also:

• Use basic techniques to assess hazards and risks;
• Select and use proper personal protective equipment (PPE);
• Perform basic control, confinement, and containment operations;
• Implement basic decontamination procedures; and
• Understand standard operating procedures and procedures to terminate a response effort.

Hazardous materials technician

Hazardous materials (hazmat) technicians are the individuals who work to stop the release. These responders take an aggressive role and approach the point of release.

A hazmat technician must be able to do what a first responder at the operations level can do, and also:

• Implement the employer’s emergency response plan (ERP);
• Classify and identify unknown materials using field survey equipment;
• Understand basic chemical behavior;
• Perform advanced control, containment, and confinement operations; and
• Implement advanced decontamination procedures.

Hazardous materials specialist

Hazardous materials (hazmat) specialists are the individuals who support the technicians and demonstrate more specific knowledge of the substances to be contained.

A hazmat specialist must be able to do what a hazmat technician can do, and also:

• Implement the local emergency response plan,
• Classify and identify unknown materials using advanced survey equipment,
• Know the state ERP,
• Understand in-depth hazard and risk techniques, and
• Develop a site safety and control plan.

Other personnel

In addition, there may be other roles involved in emergency response:

• Backup personnel standing by with equipment ready to provide aid or rescue,
• Advanced first aid support standing by with medical equipment and transportation,
• Skilled support personnel like heavy equipment operators,
• Specialist employees to provide technical advice regarding specific substances, and
• Offsite personnel to provide further expertise and support.

An emergency release effort may involve working together with other organizations and agencies. These could include state and federal organizations along with fire, rescue, and police departments, to name a few.