Encinitas Wants Own Toxic-Materials Unit

The Encinitas Fire Department has redoubled its resolve to establish its own hazardous-materials team in the wake of a weekend blaze that sent 20 firefighters to the hospital.

If established, authorities said Monday, the unit would significantly reduce the workload of San Diego County’s two existing rigs, which have been overburdened by rapidly growing demand.

The Encinitas firefighters now request help from either the San Diego Fire Department’s Hazardous Materials Response Team or the county health department’s unit when dealing with fires that involve toxic materials, said Encinitas Fire Marshal Ron McCarver.

But occasionally, as was the case Saturday, the presence of the dangerous material is unknown.

“Nobody knew there were toxic materials in the building,” McCarver said of the fire that destroyed a home on Zona Gale Road. The owner, who operated greenhouses on 20 acres, stored nearly 20 gallons of pesticides containing toxic organic phosphates.

“Some of the (pesticide) containers were glass, which broke, and the others were plastic, which melted,” McCarver said.

Seventeen firefighters were hospitalized and given blood tests, and three others were examined after they complained of nausea, vomiting and headaches. All tests for toxic poisoning proved negative, McCarver said.

Growing public awareness and concern about hazardous materials and the large number of commercial flower growers who use pesticides in Encinitas led to efforts last year to form the department’s own unit, McCarver said.

“We have a lot of flower growers in the area, and trucks transporting such pesticides come through Encinitas on I-5 every day,” he said. “It’s an everyday, constant occurrence, and we just want to be better prepared.”

McCarver said the establishment of the unit “is well on its way,” but he could not say when it will be completed.

Battalion Chief Tom Tufts and Capt. Larry Anderson, who are responsible for developing the Encinitas unit, could not be reached for comment.

The San Diego department’s hazardous-materials unit operates out of a rig that includes a library of chemical reference books, a computer, a telephone system with access to companies that can provide information about chemical reactions, and equipment that can determine levels of contamination.

A steady increase in the number of calls for help has strained the unit’s ability to respond to emergencies, said Capt. Gary Lee.

Although he said he was unaware of Encinitas’ plan to establish its own team, Lee said he would welcome the help.

“If Encinitas can get their own rig . . . that would ease the load for all of us,” he said. “Right now we have a joint-powers agreement with the county health department. There’s only two of us that handle all the calls in the county. And it’s a good deal of driving to cover all of it.”

Lee said the San Diego team responds to at least one or two calls a day.

“Sometimes we can’t make it from one place to another,” he said. “We may be in South County handling a situation and advising somebody else in North County over the phone.”

A hazardous-materials unit serves primarily as an adviser to a commander at a fire, Lee said.

“We can identify what kind of chemicals are involved and advise the firefighters whether it’s safe to go in or whether to stay out and let the fire burn out,” he said. “And, at times, we’ll go in to fight the fire or turn off some valve that might be the cause of the leak.

“We’re not just a bunch of chemists,” Lee said. “We’re firefighters first.”