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Health & Fitness

West Texas Disaster

West Texas Disasters impact on small volunteer Fire Department

While the nation was focused on the bombing at the Boston Marathon, a small Texas town experienced an explosion at a fertilizer plant causing estimated damage to exceed $100 million and killing 14 persons, 11 of these being first responders. Several hundreds of others were injured.

The names of these first responders (Firefighters and EMTs);  Jimmy Matus, Morris Bridges, Cody Frank Dragoo, Joey Pustejovsky, Douglas Snokhous, Capt. Robert Snokhous (Brothers), Cyrus Adam Reed, Jerry Dane Chapman, Perry Calvin, Kevin Sanders, Capt. Kenneth Harris. All but Capt. Harris and off duty Dallas Firefighter were volunteer firefighters.

West Texas Fire Department is (was) composed of 33 volunteer firefighters. Recently the Department held a BBQ to help build a new fire station.  The main emergency medical building was destroyed in the blast, two ambulances and all of the EMS supplies are lost. One third of the volunteer force was eradicated in the blast.  Action by volunteer firefighters in the first few minutes of the initial fire to evacuate persons in the area, more than likely saved many lives.

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It is reported that it had been nearly 28 years since the plant was fully inspected by State or Federal regulators. Reports are that there was over 270 tons of ammonium nitrate stored at the facility. In June 2011 -- less than two years before the explosion -- the private company that owns the plant, the West Fertilizer Co., filed an emergency response plan with the Environmental Protection Agency stating that there was "no" risk of fire or explosion at the facility. The worst scenario that plant officials acknowledged was the possible release of a small amount of ammonia gas into the atmosphere. In 2006, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the primary enforcer of environmental law in the state, noted that two schools were situated within 3,000 feet of the fertilizer plant. But the agency determined that "the impact potential" of an accident on the neighboring community "was low." 

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), requires that any movement, transfer, storage or sales of 400 pounds or more of ammonia nitrate be reported to their agency, reports are that the DHS, did not know of the existence of this facility that stored over 270 tons of this material. 

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In 1947, the City of Texas City, Texas experienced the worst industrial accident in history killing at least 581 people, including all but one member of the Texas City fire department. The disaster triggered the first ever class action lawsuit against the United States government, under the then-recently enacted Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), on behalf of 8,485 victims. An explosion occurred when approximately 2,300 tons of ammonium nitrate detonated on the ship SS Grandcamp, docked in the Port of Texas City.

Last week, District 44 sent a letter to our brothers and sisters of the West Texas Volunteer Fire Department, offering our condolences and support.

 

 

 

 

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