Joe Milazzo has been with CHEMTREC since 1988 and became Operations Center Manager in January 2007. He now serves as Director of the Operations Center, where his responsibilities include overall operational oversight and oversight of CHEMTREC’s emergency services. He has attended numerous industry hazmat training sessions with response teams from various chemical manufacturers, including one of the few that trained with live chemicals. He served as CHEMTREC’s Training Coordinator in March 2002 where he designed operational and company-specific training and assisted the Director of Operations with day-to-day overseas chinese database responsibilities. He is a 2007 graduate of the International Academies of Emergency Management Communications Center Manager Course and a veteran of the United States Coast Guard.
What made you want to come work for CHEMTREC?
JM: It was a combination of CHEMTREC’s mission and the money, honestly. After five years of service in the U.S. Coast Guard working in the National Response Center, I was a 23-year-old eager to join CHEMTREC’s remarkable team of professionals, many of whom were Vietnam War veterans.
JM: Technology has been one of the biggest changes for the Operations Center. When I started, we didn’t have internet, cell phones, or email. Faxing at the time was very difficult and made it difficult to share information. We were often patched through 9-1-1 to relay information to first responders on the scene, making it extremely difficult to communicate effectively. I remember one call involving a chemical that was water reactive and I heard them say charge the line, and I just kept repeating “it’s water reactive, it’s water reactive” and I felt such relief when I finally heard the standoff decision. Luckily, the message got through or there would have been a steam explosion. Communication with cell phones has improved greatly, allowing the CHEMTREC Operations Center to now have a direct connection with those on the scene. Additionally, the internet has helped increase access to information for emergency responders.
What is the most unique call you have handled in the Operations Center?
JM: I’ve certainly taken a lot of interesting calls over the past 33 years, and it’s hard to pinpoint one that’s unique so I’ll just recall a few. When they were at a zoo, they had coated the concrete animal enclosure and some of the coating was found on the orangutan’s fur. The animal wasn’t in any pain – but it was bothering him, and CHEMTREC was able to connect the vet with the company that produced the coating.
If you think back to major incidents that have occurred in the United States, CHEMTREC has received calls during them. After the Oklahoma City Bombing in 1995, canines were searching the scene and alerted to a potent chemical, since the product name was on the label, we were able to connect the responders on the scene to the producer. In 2001, in the days after the September 11 attacks, we received a call about a chemical in the basement of one of the collapsed towers and responders were wondering if the chemical was decomposing, another example of CHEMTREC connecting the producer to responders. CHEMTREC fielded calls during the anthrax incidents in 2001; and, in 2003, when the Columbia Shuttle disaster occurred, responders called CHEMTREC.
JM: One of the biggest changes to the Operations Center, aside from the technology, is the types of calls and the increase in staff. Initially, CHEMTREC received calls primarily from first responders and transportation providers, now our services and the types of calls we receive have expanded to include more industries. In 1971, the Operations Center had 6 employees and today we have 24.
What was the key behind CHEMTREC's success?
JM: CHEMTREC’s success is driven by its people and partnerships. CHEMTREC employees are dedicated and committed to our mission, and they truly care about their jobs.