Emergency preparedness is often taught as a concept supported by three critical legs of a stool: government, public safety responders, and industry. Each leg plays a vital role, and the stability of the whole structure depends on the coordination of all three, making it important for those in the industry to foster strong relationships.

“To be coordinated and have an effective emergency response of any level, you’ve got to hold some meetings,” said Mike Chapman, director of business operations for IIAR. Chapman also spent 17 years in the industry with Tyson Foods and served in public safety as a firefighter and hazmat specialist.

Gary Smith, CEO of the Ammonia Training Institute, said it can be challenging to build synergy between internal operations, emergency responders, and regulatory authorities. The goal is to “get past the fears and anxieties of what the regulations may say by being better operationally with your local emergency responders, your local authority having jurisdiction, and your own command team that you’re building.”

If facilities and first responders work together and communicate in a way they can all understand, they have an advantage. “If you’ve trained your team operationally to a first responder level, which means that you can have the capabilities in to address first-responder related challenges, and if you do that together with a fire service on what they can do to support on that initial first 30 minutes, you’re ahead of the ball game right off the bat,” Smith said.

Establishing Relationships in Advance

Building relationships starts with making contact with the fire department, hazmat team, or emergency manager, and it needs to be done in advance. “Establishing your first contact is really the hardest part. You’ve got to pick up the phone. In order to do that, you have to talk to people that maybe you haven’t spoken with before,” Chapman said. “You want to make sure you get to the right person that can adequately communicate your intent and your wishes to the proper authorities that can make decisions and say, ‘Yes, we can allocate these resources to come and coordinate with you.'”

Like with any relationship, the first step is usually a meeting, but that is only the starting point. “Relationships require effort, so it means you have to build upon it,” Chapman said.
Chapman recommends scheduling a walkthrough and explaining systems, safety measures, and the emergency plan. Operators can walk responders through key systems, such as ventilation controls, e-stops, evacuation routes, and refrigeration room access. They need to understand the physical layout of the facility and any unique hazards. Helping responders understand refrigeration in relatable terms can make a difference in how quickly and effectively they can

respond.

It is also important to identify key internal stakeholders, including refrigeration technicians, facility management, maintenance personnel, and even administrative staff, particularly those responsible for evacuation rosters or emergency notifications.
A high-profile ammonia release can quickly attract media attention. Local leadership, including town councils and mayors, may become involved, especially if there is potential for public exposure. “If it’s a small-town community, I can guarantee you that the town council, the mayor, those kinds of folks, are going to be there if it’s something that’s big and in the news,” he explained. “So, you want to probably pull those folks in so that everybody’s on the same page.”

Determine the Approach

A key decision every facility must make is whether to adopt an emergency action plan (EAP) or a full emergency response program (ERP). An EAP focuses on evacuation and calling in external help, while an ERP involves maintaining and training an in-house response team. Each has pros and cons. An ERP allows faster control of incidents and improved employee protection but requires more resources, training, and regulatory compliance. An EAP, while less resource-intensive, may delay response actions and leave more of the burden to public responders.
“There are certainly advantages with employee safety and being able to protect employees if you’ve got a full emergency response team. You can mitigate or minimize your incidents much more quickly with onsite public safety, because you’re able to probably keep the ammonia on site or very close to the site, so it’s not going to affect your public or people around you,” Chapman said.

For many ammonia refrigeration operations, especially those with small or moderately staffed sites, maintaining a fully staffed hazmat team 24/7 is unrealistic, but even with an EAP, teams needs enough awareness-level training to initiate an emergency stop, identify a leak and communicate effectively.

Deciding between a response and an action plan should be strategic. ERP gives operators the advantage of quick response and improved incident control, but demands serious investment in training, staffing, and compliance. EAP is more cost-effective but puts more reliance on external agencies whose response times may be limited.

Effective Planning and Communication

While there are different levels of planning needed, a “30-minute plan” can improve operational readiness. Smith saw one situation when an ammonia compressor failed and a slick, dangerous environment quickly developed, but all key stakeholders had been trained.

“I’ll never forget, as I rolled into that call, I got a rundown of what had happened, so I upped the alarm and got more resources coming in,” Smith said. “Long story short, when we got there, we put the fans in, we got the power shut down and ventilation going…Thirty minutes later, we took what was potentially a catastrophe, and because starting together earlier meant we were working
with understanding, cooperation, and collaboration, and it worked.”

A teaming agreement made in advance can define roles and responsibilities during an incident, outlining the expectations for both the facility and responding agencies. While some municipalities may hesitate to sign such agreements due to liability concerns, it is not a binding legal contract. Instead, it serves as a communication tool and a compliance safeguard that demonstrates coordinated planning, Champman explained.

Agreements should specify training levels for all parties, PPE capabilities, available equipment, and the expected actions during various incident scenarios. It should never be assumed that the arrival of a fire truck implies hazmat capability—roles and resources should be clearly defined in advance.

Chapman said that when responders arrive, their success depends on a facility’s ability to communicate quickly and clearly. One proven method is the CAN Report:

• Conditions: What’s happening. Example: We have a low-side ammonia leak in the compressor room.
• Actions: What’s been done. Example: We hit the e-stop, evacuated the area, accounted for all personnel.
• Needs: What is required. Example: We need leak confirmation and atmospheric monitoring in the adjacent corridor.

Delivering this kind of information allows responders to tailor their PPE, assess risk, and act faster. Smith added that it is important to establish who is in charge. If nobody sets the first step in motion, things can escalate, with a release leaving the facility, getting out, and becoming a bigger threat to the community.

Training with Realism

Training is a critical part of any safety plan. Smith recommends facility supervisors who are assigned by their employer to lead an emergency response event should take the FEMA/NIMS free on-line training for ICS 100, 200 and 800. “The training results in a FEMA certificate of completion and is enjoyable and easy to understand,” he explained. “Certified ICS training will help the facility commander to liaison much more effectively with the public safety responders.”
Smith added that employers should consider having their lead operators comply with the six (6) simple and straightforward requirements located in OSHA 1910.120 (q)(6)(ii) First Responder Operations Level requirements. “The employer may accept all forms of operator training and experience to show their capabilities for being considered a ‘First Responder Operations Level employee,'” he said.

Another best practice is to ensure training is realistic. Paper drills alone are insufficient. Facilities
should simulate leaks, test response timing and walk first responders through system layouts. Chapman said the goal should be to uncover opportunities for improvement and reinforce successful practices not to assign blame.
Consistent training builds confidence. A team that is well-acquainted with emergency procedures will respond more effectively under stress. Past incidents and industry case studies can provide valuable lessons. Scenarios should also be tailored to facility-specific hazards. For example, a system prone to valve freeze-ups should include freeze-related leak drills in training exercises.

Risk Awareness in Action

Before initiating any task, workers should pause for five seconds to ask, “What could go wrong?” This brief moment of reflection can prevent incidents. Whether opening a valve at work or lifting a vehicle at home, assessing the risks and mitigating hazards beforehand can save lives. “If you take that five seconds to say what could go wrong, then you can take a little bit longer to engineer out those risks,” Chapman said.

Additionally, understanding the incident command structure enables facility teams to integrate effectively into broader emergency responses. Free FEMA training on the National Incident Management System (NIMS)—specifically ICS-100, 200, 700, and 800—provides essential background for those involved in emergency planning. Familiarity with unified command roles ensures smoother collaboration with external agencies.

When all parties—from facility operators to emergency responders- understand their roles and expectations, incident responses become more coordinated, efficient, and safe. That coordination can limit operational downtime, reduce financial risk, and keep employees and the community safe.