Optima Chemical Donates Life-Saving Equipment To DFD
Luke Roberts
Enterprise Staff Writer
Optima Chemical recently made a donation to the Douglas Fire Department that could potentially save lives not only in Douglas and Coffee County but throughout the local area, as the Region 8 Hazmat (hazardous materials) Team, which covers 21 southeastern counties, will also utilize the equipment. Optima Chemical recently purchased an Organic Vapor Analyzer, which they donated to City of Douglas Fire officials on Tuesday morning, November 19.
According to Al Horner, Optima’s Environmental, Health, and Safety Manager, the Analyzer is a “very accurate and sensitive piece of equipment that has many applications. The unit is able to detect organic vapors in concentrations as low as 0.1 part per million. It is primarily used to determine if an area is safe from an exposure standpoint for workers to enter and to detect the location of potential equipment leaks in chemical plant facilities, laboratories, transportation vehicles, etc.” Horner added, “The unit will complement the existing equipment that the Douglas Fire Department utilizes as a member of the Region 8 hazardous materials response team. It will be particularly useful when the fire department personnel are involved in a hazardous materials response where there is a spill or a potential spill/leak. The unit will be critical in determining the area that is safe for responders to enter and aid in determining if potential evacuation is necessary from a hazardous materials incident.”
Douglas Fire Chief Tim White, along with Douglas Mayor James Dennis, expressed their appreciation to Optima Chemical for the donation.
The Douglas Fire Department and Region 8 Hazmat Team were the recipients of an equipment donation from Optima Chemical on Tuesday, November 19, as Optima representatives presented Douglas Fire Chief Tim White with an Organic Vapor Analyzer, which can detect harmful and potentially deadly organic vapors. Chief White (center) is pictured above with (L-R) Fire Inspector J.D. White, Optima Site Manager Matthew Stewart, Optima Environmental, Health, and Safety Manager Al Horner, Mayor James Dennis, displaying the analyzer, and DFD Assistant Chief Casey Wright. –Photo by Luke Roberts, Enterprise Staff Writer
