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August 25, 2003Program tracks chemicals at 50 manufacturersFirefighters now can access info on laptopByRecord-Eagle staff writer CADILLAC - Fire officials are finishing up surveys of about 50 manufacturing plants here to find out what kinds of chemicals they have, where they keep them and where utility shutoffs are. All of the information will be entered into a computer program. While the state-mandated surveys are not new, the software is and will make the information easier to use. Firefighters will be able to access the information on a laptop computer in the lead fire truck or from a notebook containing all of the surveys in hard-copy, Cadillac fire inspector Mike Mongar said. It will allow the firefighters to find potentially hazardous chemicals, gas lines, electrical lines and other important features more quickly in case of a fire or other emergency, Mongar said. Generally, six or seven people work on the surveys every Thursday and Friday. Once manufacturers are surveyed, similar information gathering will begin for motels, stores and other businesses throughout the city and Clam Lake Township, which contracts for fire protection, Mongar said. The software also records emergency contacts, building layout, water supply and main hydrant size. "Everybody's been more than happy to have us come through their sites. They realize this benefits everybody," he said. Michelle DeView, safety coordinator for BorgWarner, which makes fan clutches for trucks, agreed. "The more familiar they are, the better they'll be able to respond," she said. The survey is not an offshoot of the Homeland Security Act, Mongar said.
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