COSTA MESA : Database to Focus on Hazardous Materials
In just a few weeks, Capt. Bob Reynolds of the Costa Mesa Fire Department will receive computer equipment he says will make the department more effective when faced with hazardous spills.
The City Council voted earlier this week to approve Reynolds’ proposal to buy $16,898 in computer equipment that will give the department access to Cameo II, a database maintained by the National Safety Council that lists the chemical properties of thousands of hazardous materials and tells firefighters how to cope with a spill or fire.
“Costa Mesa does not have a specially trained hazardous materials team to deal with these incidents,” Reynolds said. “But even then, no one person could ever be trained to know all that’s needed.
“The computer will allow us to make a lifesaving response in an emergency. As it is now, if you make the wrong decision just once, a real disaster could result.”
Reynolds said the computer will also allow the department to create its own database, listing what hazardous materials are commonly used by industries in the city.
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