OHMRA -Ontario Hazardous Materials Responders Assn

Get your tickets early. Sold out 2 years in a row. Sponsorship packages available!

Before we get into the weeds (looks like we are already there) with containers, let's look at the @USDOT @PHMSA_DOT and @IntlCodeCouncil and the #EmergencyResponseGuidebook figures and how they differ. #HazmatMinutes

Canadian CBRNE & Robotics Summit 2025 Highlight Video! Hosted by OHMRA April 7-8 in Kitchener, ON. First responders, hazmat teams & robotics innovators united for elite training & networking. Watch now: OHMRA.ca/summit #OHMRASummit #CBRNE #Robotics #FirstResponders

URGENT FIREFIGHTER SAFETY ALERT: Stop Piercing Lithium-Ion Battery Packs! A recent video shows a firefighter hammering a piercing nozzle into an EV battery pack, only to be engulfed in flames and toxic gases. This tactic is extremely dangerous and must stop. Whether using a piercing nozzle or any tool that punctures the battery, the outcome can be catastrophic. Your Gear Can’t Withstand the Heat: Thermal runaway in lithium-ion batteries produces temperatures exceeding 1,100°C. SCBA facepieces begin to deform at 205°C and can fail completely at 260°C. Bunker gear is not rated for the jet flames, molten metal, or toxic smoke produced by these events. Piercing a pack during thermal runaway places firefighters in the center of an environment their PPE cannot handle. Why Piercing Battery Packs Is a Losing Bet: While small hybrid packs ("baby packs") may allow some room for error, full Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) packs ("adult packs") are complex systems with: -Multiple cells and cooling channels -High-voltage components -Internal partitions to prevent fire spread -Piercing blindly into these systems: • Risks missing the source of fire entirely • May breach unburned modules and trigger additional thermal runaway • Compromises internal safety partitions meant to slow propagation • Introduces oxygen and pressure instability, intensifying the event The Video’s False Promise: In the video, a piercing nozzle is used expecting suppression. Instead, the battery violently erupts. This is not control, it’s chaos. You might hit the right cell in a hybrid or during a staged demo, but BEV packs are built to contain and compartmentalize. Piercing randomly is a gamble that can escalate the incident and threaten lives. Safer Tactics for EV Fire Response: • Follow OEM guidance for water application, usually via undercarriage access • Cool externally and maintain a defensive posture • Understand EV fires don’t require excessive water, just targeted tactics • Hybrid packs often burn out within 15 minutes; what’s left is a standard ICE fire Piercing BEV battery packs is a life-threatening mistake. These systems are engineered to contain internal failures, not to be breached. One wrong move can turn a controlled incident into a catastrophic event. If your department still uses piercing tactics on EV batteries, stop immediately! Train with data, not guesswork. Share this post. It could save a Firefighters life! #FirefighterSafety #EVFireResponse #LithiumIonBattery #ThermalRunaway #Hazmat #FireService #CESAT #FirefighterSafety @CESAT_Official

OHMRA Executive Committee 2024–2025: Advancing Hazmat Excellence in Ontario

This week, first responders and safety experts are gathering at the CBRNE & Robotics Summit in Kitchener to explore how robotics and innovation are transforming emergency response. 💪🤖 @OhmraA #CBRNE2025

Cette semaine, les premiers intervenants et les experts en sécurité se réunissent au CBRNE & Robotics Summit à Kitchener pour explorer comment la robotique et l'innovation transforment les interventions d'urgence. 💪🤖 @OhmraA #CBRNE2025

Two firefighters have died in Spain battling a garage fire that may have started in an electric vehicle. With EV adoption rising, are we doing enough to train firefighters for these incidents? Should regulations change? Read here: surinenglish.com/spain/two-fire… #FireSafety #EVFires

Misinformation in EV Fire Safety, Profiting from Fear First responders and the public deserve real solutions, not fear-based sales tactics. Public safety should be rooted in science, real-world testing, and expert knowledge, not in selling a product by exploiting misinformation. Public safety should never be compromised for profit, yet for-profit companies with a vested interest in selling their own products continue to push misleading narratives to create demand for ineffective solutions. A recent claim suggests @Tesla “did not cooperate with regulators” in crash testing the @Cybertruck, an attempt to sow doubt and fuel fear rather than inform the public. The fact is, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration @NHTSAgov conducts independent testing and does not require manufacturer cooperation. The Cybertruck received a 5-star safety rating, with crash testing completed in late 2024 and results published in January 2025. NHTSA Results: nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2025/T… But this isn’t just about Tesla, it’s about the growing trend of fear-based marketing by companies that profit from misinformation. EV fires burn at extreme temperatures, well over 1,000°F (537°C). These are not traditional fires, they involve thermal runaway, toxic gas emissions, and prolonged re-ignition cycles. Fire blankets are being pushed as a “solution,” yet there is no real-world, independent testing proving they can stop thermal runaway. Fire departments don’t rely on gimmicks, they rely on tested, proven suppression methods that align with science and firefighter safety. Yet some companies that sell fire blankets continue to mislead the public and first responders into believing they are effective, without providing data to support these claims. This isn’t about safety, it’s about profit-driven misinformation. #EVSafety #FirefighterTraining #PublicSafety #Misinformation #DataDrivenDecisions #FireService #LithiumIonBatteryFires #FireSuppression #EmergencyResponse #RealTestingMatters

A Fire doubles in size every 30 seconds, so when seconds count, make sure we can count on your hydrant. Shovel it out, clear a path, and help us help you. A few minutes of effort could save lives! #ClearTheHydrant #SecondsCount #FireSafety #ShovelForSafety #HelpUsHelpYou #WinterFireSafety #coachSam #CanadianWinter

RT @RandyNarinee: NFPA 701 & EV Fire Blankets: Misleading Claims in Fire Safety Recently, some companies have been advertising EV fire bla…

Excited to share the new branding for the Canadian CBRNE & Robotics Summit. We maxed capacity last year 4 weeks in advance and had a waitlist... don't wait to get your tickets! Earlybird sales end Jan 31st at midnight. ohmra.ca/summit #cbrne #hazmat

#Connecticut: Liquid Nitrogen Spill: Abandoned Car Cause Of I-395 Traffic Chaos, Hazmat Emergency In CT dailyvoice.com/ct/middletown/…

Flashback: Bandage 1, a Bell 212 at Buttonville airport, started operations in 1977. Photo about 1978 - Ontario Ambulance Service was transformed into @Ornge in 2007.

As we conclude 2024, we should reflect on the fire safety lessons we’ve encountered this year. The widespread adoption of clean energy products has surpassed traditional energy sources, yet public education and safety measures have not kept pace. There are companies marketing products that lack proper testing and certification, leading to a false sense of security and potential harm. A notable example is the surge in promotions on social media for personal fire blanket intended for kitchen fires. The @ONFireMarshal has issued a warning against these products, emphasizing that there are no Canadian standards for fire blankets and their use is not mandated by law. The Fire Marshal cautions that this product provides a misleading sense of safety. oafc.on.ca/sites/default/… Certification signifies that a product has undergone rigorous testing to ensure its effectiveness in emergencies. Unfortunately, the market has seen an increase in counterfeit @UL_Standards. To verify a product’s UL certification, utilize @UL_Solutions Product iQ database: productiq.ulprospector.com/en If a product claims UL certification but is not listed, report it to UL’s enforcement team via their Certificate Request Forms page: ul.com/resources/mark… For any questions or concerns about products being marketed to your organization, reach out to the Clean Energy Safety and Training Council, a non-profit dedicated to data-driven research, testing, and solutions. We work with with OEMs, @UL_Standards, @NFPA, and @SAEIntl to help shape the standards that keep everyone safe. Stay informed and prioritize safety by ensuring all products are properly certified and effective.

🚨 Each team, made up of 22 trained professionals with over 650 hours of advanced training, tackles threats related to WMDs. 💪 #HazMatHeroes #WMDResponse #PublicSafety #hazmatnation #hazmattraining #hazmatters ow.ly/ZQjC50UxaN2

Flashback: 1986 Niagara on the Lake Ambulance Service, now part of @NiagaraEMS

“The front of that train is completely smashed, and there was even some of the parts to the fire truck stuck in the front of the train, but it split the car right in half. It split the fire truck right in half, and the debris was everywhere." ow.ly/u4Tk50UxF5e

Happy Holidays!

🚨💼 When a hazmat team enters the hot zone, their protective gear choices are limited by strict legal regulations. 🦺🤿 #SCBA #hazmatnation #hazmattraining ow.ly/zLp750UrhFi

ERAC has developed standardized Incident Command System (ICS) 100 and 200 courses that meet the required topics of ICS Canada stream courses, but without the burden of cost to organizations who may need this training. These two internal adaptations are intended to provide ICS training internally to our ERAC responders who respond to transportation (rail & road) incidents involving liquefied petroleum gases and flammable liquids. ERAC’s ICS 100 and 200 courses are available for free to Canadian-based first responders (firefighters, police, EMS) and our Plan members and their employees. To learn more about our ICS courses: bit.ly/3lUEgJV #EmergencyPreparedness #incidentcommandsystem #training