Hazardous Materials
updated: Sep 01, 2012, 12:17 PM

Source: Ventura Fire Department

Incident Number: 51735

Information Contact: Douglas Miser, Battalion Chief

Incident Type: Hazardous Materials Incident - Motor Home Leaking Raw Sewage in the Street

Date/Time of Incident: 08-31-2012 at 18:51

Incident Location: 5400 Block Everglades Cause: Unknown

Injuries: (general) See Release

Number of Personnel: 7 Fire, 1 Ventura Police Officer, Ventura Wastewater Department, 2 Ventura

Streets Department, Gold Coast Ambulance

Fire Equipment: 1 Medic Engine, 1 Battalion Chief, 1 Hazardous Materials Unit

Agencies Involved: Ventura City Fire Department, Ventura Police Department Ventura Wastewater Department, Ventura Streets Department, Gold Coast Ambulance

Narrative:

Multiple Ventura City Fire units responded to the scene of a hazardous material spill in the 5400 block of Everglades St. on Friday evening. Fire crews were initially called to render care to an injured person in a motor home. The reported injured person, who lived in his vehicle, denied medical treatment and initially refused assessment. Once on scene, fire crews discovered raw sewage leaking from his RV into a storm drain. The Ventura City Fire Hazardous materials team was summoned. Fire crews built various dams over a block area in attempt to contain the free flowing human waste and to prevent any further flow from entering the storm drain. Mandatory legal notifications were made to the US Coast Guard, County Environmental Health, and the Department of Fish and Game.

Firefighters worked with the Ventura Police Department to provide care for the patient and remove the vehicle from the public roadway, which was deemed a health hazard. Crews convinced the patient that he needed a physical evaluation at a local hospital. Due to various health concerns, firefighter paramedics entered the vehicle and carried the patient out of the motor home in hazardous materials gowns wearing respiratory protective equipment. The patient was treated and transported to a local hospital.

Business owners in the adjacent business park stated the vehicle had been parked on the street for almost 3 weeks. It was unknown if the vehicle had been leaking raw sewage for the entire time. VFD crews identified the leak to a broken waste pipe at the rear of the vehicle.

Ventura City Streets Department as well as the Wastewater Department responded to the scene in order to contain the sewage in the streets. The Hazmat team constructed a catch basin and emptied the RV's full waste tank as it was captured by the waste department's vacuum truck. The now secured motor home was towed. A fresh water wash down of the streets was performed by firefighters and again captured by the wastewater truck for proper disposal. The Streets Department followed up by a final clean up of the block with street cleaning equipment.

USCG required that notification be made to the National Response Center. Fish and Game will be contacted by the State Warning Center.

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