May 31, 2016 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (SH2016-16) FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION R. Steve Huffman Public Information Officer (251) 208-7163/Fax: (251) 208-5843 E-Mail: huffman@cityofmobile.org CITY OF MOBILE FIRE-RESCUE RECEIVES DONATION FROM ARC Mobile Fire-Rescue Department has received a $100,000 donation from Arc Terminals. The department plans to use the monies to upgrade hazardous materials team equipment. Assistant Chief Billy Pappas stated, “This donation will enable us to purchase modern technology and upgrade current equipment for our Haz Mat response capabilities.” Public Safety Director Richard Landolt added “This generous donation by ARC will go far in helping us be better prepared for an industrial incident of near any type.” The department intends to use the funds to purchase and upgrade the following equipment: Area Rae with full sensor suite. $45,000 Used for establishing a perimeter at an incident site. The AreaRAE provides real-time wireless measurements for a range of potential threats such as combustible gases, chlorine, or hydrogen sulfide, you can deploy the monitor and replace sensors when circumstances change. Level A suits with flash protection $14,094 This upgrade to our existing has-mat entry suits will provide our personnel with a much needed extra level of protection. While meeting the needs of working in the most dangerous environments by protecting against chemical and biological agents in both liquid and vapor form these suits provide additional protection against flash fires that may occur. Thermal Imaging camera $10,000 These devices allow our personnel to locate potentially dangerous situations by rendering infrared radiation as visible light. Such cameras allow responding personnel to see areas of heat through smoke, darkness, or heat-permeable barriers. PID monitor to detect VOC gases $14,374 Photoionization detectors (PID) measure volatile organic compounds (VOC) and other hazardous gases. PIDs produce instantaneous readings, operate continuously, and are commonly used for monitoring possible worker exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as solvents, fuels, degreasers, and plastics. Arc made the donation as part of a settlement agreement negotiated with the City of Mobile following a complaint that the company violated the city’s zoning ordinance by storing sulfuric acid at its Blakely Terminal without the requisite approval. The payment by Arc exceeds any possible fines the City could have recovered against Arc for the zoning issue. Arc completed the removal of all sulfuric acid from the Blakely terminal last year. ###