On Saturday, October 23, 2010 at 4:15 PM, 5 Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, 7 LAFD Rescue Ambulances, 2 Fireboats, 1 Rehab Unit, 1 Hazardous Materials Team, 1 EMS Battalion Captain, 1 Battalion Chief Officer Command Team and 1 Division Chief Officer Command Team, a total of 50 Los Angeles Fire Department personnel under the direction of Battalion Chief Michael Thomas, responded to a Hazardous Materials Investigation at Berth 303 on Terminal Island in the Port of Los Angeles.

Firefighters arrived quickly to investigate an odor aboard the recently docked APL Sweden, a 909-foot long cargo ship of Liberian registry.

The seven crew members and other dock workers were swiftly evacuated upwind from the fully loaded vessel, as a safety perimeter and the Joint Command of LAFD, U.S. Coast Guard, Port Police and Homeland Security officials was established.

The odor, first believed to be associated with a gallon or more of liquid discovered near a shipping container, was instead determined by LAFD Hazardous Materials experts to be emanating from a pair of twenty-foot cargo containers nearby.

Nearly two hours into the incident, eight earlier evacuated port workers complaining of respiratory irritation and nausea joined their colleague who had first noted the odor, in being assessed by LAFD Paramedics. Three of these nine men, all described as in good condition, were ultimately taken to area hospitals via LAFD Ambulance for a more thorough medical evaluation.

With the assistance of longshoremen operating a dockside crane, the twin cargo containers loaded with Xylenol were skilfully wrapped in impervious sheeting in a diaper-like fashion, before being loaded onto a trailer under the watchful eye of responders.

Great care was taken by Los Angeles Fire Department personnel to assure that no product leaked into harbor waterways or created an escalating hazard.

The containers were gingerly transported to a remote section of the port, where a privately-contracted hazardous material management firm was to handle the matter to conclusion under the observation of the Health Hazardous Materials Division of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.


Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department