On September 26 West Mead #1 members met at Suit Kote’s Meadville facility on McHenry Street to tour their asphalt plant. As a Tier II facility, Suit Kote is required to report hazardous chemicals on site and conduct an annual fire department tour of the facility. Safety Director Josh Lynn led the tour, identifying potential hazards and utility controls throughout the plant. This year Suit Kote personnel reviewed three new fuel tanks that replaced older storage tanks, and identified recent equipment and procedures to mitigate hazardous spills or other accidents.

After the tour, Department 28 returned to Liberty St station to discuss appropriate responses to two scenarios involving the Suit Kote facility. The first involved a damaged asphalt storage tank, and the second was a larger incident with personnel unaccounted for and a fuel tank on fire. With the onsite mitigation efforts, the department could handle the first incident with minimal involvement from area agencies. The second would clearly require a broader area response, calling mutual aid companies and regional agencies for additional equipment, personnel, and expertise.

Facility tours and pre-plans for larger facilities are an important part of protecting lives and property in the district. We salute Suit Kote for their proactive approach to plant safety.