On Wednesday, September 17th, 2008, members of the Carroll County HazMat Team assisted local officials by making entry into 2 structures in Bruceton, Tennessee. The purpose of our entry was to retrieve documents and other important material from the structures which were left vacant for several weeks after the owners death. The HazMat Team sent 2 HazMat Technicians and 2 additional members for support.

The circumstances which led to the HazMat Team being called to assist were primarily due to the condition of the structures, especially in regards to biological hazards. Level B, Tyvek suits were used along with rubber boots, multiple pairs of gloves and SCBA.

Overturned tractor trailor, Bruceton, TN

On Tuesday, September 26th, 2006, a tractor-trailor driving west-bound on Hwy. 70 near the city limits of Bruceton - exited the highway and came to rest in a marshy area. The tractor-trailor was carrying approximately 10 bags of manganese dioxide.

Manganese(IV) oxide is the chemical compound MnO2, more usually called manganese dioxide. This blackish or brown solid occurs naturally as the mineral pyrolusite, which is the main ore of manganese. It is also present in manganese nodules. The principal use for MnO2 is for dry-cell batteries, such as the alkaline battery and the zinc-carbon battery. In 1976 this application accounted for 500,000 tonnes of pyrolusite. MnO2 is also used for production of MnO4–. It is used extensively as an oxidising agent in organic synthesis, for example, for the oxidation of allylic alcohols.

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MVA, Mckenzie, TN

On Friday, September 29th the Carroll County Haz-Mat Team was paged out to respond to a MVA in Mckenzie.

Responding units included 604 and the Haz-Mat Equipment Trailor. Absorbant pads were used to absorb engine fluids from the vehicle that were in the ditch.

The absorbant pads used on a scene - and the coveralls and other disposable PPE (boot covers, gloves etc.) are disposed of properly in bags and are removed from the scene from the official clean-up team on the site. Any tools or equipment used on our Haz-Mat scenes must be decontaminated before returning them to the Equipment trailor or 604.

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