| Date/Time of Occurrence: | April 12, 2006 , 11:12 a.m. |
| Nature of Occurrence: | Hazardous Material |
| Location: | 6920 Airport Blvd |
| MapQuest Link: | Click Here to See Map |
| Contact: | Battalion Chief Niko King |
| Phone: | 916-216-0316 |
| Incident Number: | 17708 |
| Email: | nking@sfd.cityofsacramento.org |
| SACRAMENTO – This morning at 11:12 a.m. the Sacramento Fire Department was dispatched to reports of an odor at the Sacramento International Airport. The Sacramento County Department of Airports Fire Department arrived to the reported area first and immediately requested the hazardous materials units from the Sacramento Fire Department respond. The evacuation of terminal B-1 was immediately conducted affecting approximately 150 passengers.
A United Airlines employee came into contact with a substance causing their eyes to burn and irritation to their throat. They immediately notified personnel from the Transportation Security Administration who then notified emergency responders. The Sacramento Fire Department’s Hazardous Materials team made entry to the area and began taking samples of the environment. There were no readings picked up by the hazardous materials team’s equipment in the area that the United Airlines employee identified. There were also no packages that could be identified as being a source of the odor. Fire paramedic units began treating people who were in proximity to the odor. A total of 8 people were evaluated, none of whom desired to seek further medical treatment at a hospital. As the emergency response teams began to wrap up their operation, it was brought to their attention that several passengers boarding planes had in their possession small containers of 15% Oleorsin Capsicum (OC spray). This spray is commonly used as a self defense mechanism and is legal to purchase and possess in the state of California. A conference held in Sacramento by “American Public Power”, had brought approximately 600-700 power company employees into town. An airline passenger stated that a session on personal safety was taught from a law enforcement officer from the state of Georgia. At the conclusion of his session, he was handing out key-chains with 15 grams of OC spray in an aerosol container. It cannot be determined with 100% accuracy that one of the OC containers was discharged in a passenger’s luggage or carry on bag, but the signs and symptoms described by those affected would match a limited exposure to OC spray. Announcements over the intercom in terminal B were made for passengers to turn in the OC containers if they had them on their possession and several passengers began to comply with the request. The incident that lasted approximately one hour and 45 minutes brought emergency responders from several agencies. The total response included two hazardous material teams, six engine companies, one truck company, three fire paramedic units, and nine command and support personnel. |
| Incident Commander: | Battalion Chief Chris Ortiz |
| County Supervisor District: | District 1: Supervisor Roger Dickinson |
| Public Information Officer: | Battalion Chief Niko King |
| Number of Adults Injured: | 8 |
| Time To Control: | 1 hr 45 mi |
| Total No. of Medic Units: | 3 |
| Total No. of Engine Companies: | 6 |
| Total No. of Truck Companies: | 1 |
| Total No. of Hazardous Materials Companies: | 2 |
| Total No. of Fire Companies: | 12 |
| Total No. of Command and Support Staff: | 9 |
| Total No. of Firefighters: | 53 |
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