“This is CHEMTREC, do you have an emergency?” 

This question is asked nearly 300 times a day by CHEMTREC’s Emergency Service Specialists (ESS) that work in the Emergency Call Center.  Our Center has successfully handled over one million emergencies since its founding in 1971!

CHEMTREC is a hotline for fire fighters, law enforcement and other emergency responders to obtain critical information and assistance for emergency incidents involving chemicals and hazardous materials.  CHEMTREC’s Center is linked to the largest network of chemical and hazardous material experts in the world including chemicals and response specialists within the ACC membership, response specialists within the carrier community, public emergency services, and private contractors.  When necessary, ESS can establish direct communications between these experts, CHEMTREC personnel, and the responders at the scene of an incident. 

What happens when an emergency call is received?
Who are the Emergency Service Specialists?
What resources does CHEMTREC have at its disposal?
How does CHEMTREC ensure 24/7 reliability?

What happens when an emergency call is received?

• CHEMTREC’s Emergency Service Specialist (ESS) gathers information about the incident, the product, the shipper and the carrier.
• The ESS provides immediate technical information to the scene from an extensive library of over 5 million Material Safety Data Sheet(s) that can be accessed in seconds.
• CHEMTREC relays information to the shipper's or manufacturer's 24-hour emergency contact and links that expert contact with the incident scene. 
• CHEMTREC creates a written report of the incident based on the information collected.  This report is immediately sent via fax or email to the shipper or shipper-designated compliance organization. 
• CHEMTREC provides important medical support to treating medical personnel, as needed. 
• In certain situations, CHEMTREC can relay written instructions provided by the registrant to the scene for disposing of small releases of product.

Who are the Emergency Service Specialists?

CHEMTREC’s Emergency Service Specialists (ESS) are trained to use a variety of resources to assist callers and provide the most current and accurate information.  ESS rotate 12 hour shifts with a maximum of 4 and a minimum of 2 on duty.  Most ESS have emergency response backgrounds either by way of military or public service experience, and all receive rigorous and recurring hands-on emergency response training.  Collectively, CHEMTREC’s ESS staff have over 250 years of hands-on emergency response training. 

Several ESS are active volunteer firefighters or emergency medical technicians in their local communities.

What resources does CHEMTREC have at its disposal?

CHEMTREC has a number of information resources at its fingertips to assist callers with an incident.  Our 24/7 resources include:

• Emergency Service Specialists 
• Over 5 million Material Safety Data Sheets
• Numerous information resources and guides
• Numerous searchable databases
• Industry response expertise
• Chemical expertise
• Mutual Aid Networks
• Medical professionals and toxicologists
• Language translation

How does CHEMTREC ensure round-the-clock reliability?

To ensure 24/7 reliability, CHEMTREC's Emergency Communication Center provides:

• Back-up power supply
• Telephone back-up systems
• Duplicate computer systems 
• Off-site data storage