Ammonia Safety
By
Tony Durán, Captain, LACoFD, Retired
HOSTED BY : Orange County Fire Authority
Tony Durán, former Safety Officer and Hazardous Materials Coordinator for the Los Angeles County Fire Department, will present an overview of the ASTI program and the concepts and tactics developed by ASTI to prevent or mitigate emergencies involving the use and transport of ammonia. Shipped as a non-flammable gas, ammonia does have a flash point and flammable range that has created disastrous fires endangering unsuspecting first responders.
As an inhalation hazard, the control of an escaping gas cloud must be contained quickly to prevent injuries to employees, neighboring populations and first responders.
Ammonia Safety & Training Institute (ASTI) is a Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation organized and operating within Section 501 (c) 3 of the Internal Revenue Service Code. ASTI was formed in 1987 through a partnership between industry and the fire service (Doug Hill, CEO of Hill Brothers Chemical, and Gary Smith, Fire Chief for the City of Watsonville). ASTI incorporated as a non-profit in 1991. ASTI’s mission is to eliminate ammonia-related accidents and injuries by promoting prevention, mitigation, preparedness, and the One Plan. ASTI provides support for industry, fire service, and regulators to address safety and emergency challenges. ASTI vows to learn and promote change to prevent emergencies or stop them when they are small!
“Private-sector preparedness is not a luxury; it is a cost of doing business in the post-9/11 world. It is ignored at a tremendous potential cost in lives, money and national security.”