669 HAZWOPER for General Site Workers X

Level I: First-Responder Awareness Level Training

First responders at the awareness level are individuals who are likely to discover a hazardous substance release and who have been trained to initiate an emergency response sequence by notifying the proper authorities of the release.

The training is targeted at teaching employees to recognize the human hazards present during these emergencies and how to protect themselves against such hazards. The required training also includes how to accurately and fully report the necessary information to an "alarm dispatcher" so that subsequent emergency responders are fully informed.

They would take no further action beyond notifying the authorities of the release. First responders at the awareness level must have sufficient training or have had sufficient experience to objectively demonstrate competency in the following areas:

• understanding of what hazardous substances are, and the risks associated with them in an incident
• understanding of the potential outcomes associated with an emergency created when hazardous substances are present
• ability to recognize the presence of hazardous substances in an emergency
• ability to identify the hazardous substances, if possible
• understanding of the role of the first responder awareness individual in the employer's emergency response plan including site security and control and the U.S. Department of Transportation's Emergency Response Guidebook
• ability to realize the need for additional resources, and to make appropriate notifications to the communication center

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