AQS Emergency Response & Preparedness 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under NIMS (National Incident Management System), who holds ultimate responsibility for all incident objectives during an air quality emergency?
- Incident Commander (Correct answer)
- Safety Officer
- Public Information Officer
- Operations Section Chief
Correct answer: Incident Commander
The Incident Commander is responsible for all incident objectives and overall management under ICS/NIMS.
Question 2: Which federal regulation requires facilities storing hazardous chemicals above threshold quantities to submit Risk Management Plans that include air quality emergency scenarios?
- Clean Air Act Section 112(r) (Correct answer)
- RCRA Section 3002
- TSCA Section 8
- FIFRA Section 6
Correct answer: Clean Air Act Section 112(r)
CAA Section 112(r) established the Risk Management Program requiring RMPs for facilities with listed chemicals above threshold quantities.
Question 3: During a toxic chemical release, the ALOHA dispersion model uses which primary input to calculate the Threat Zone?
- Atmospheric stability class and wind speed (Correct answer)
- Stack height and exit velocity only
- Ambient ozone concentration
- PM2.5 background levels
Correct answer: Atmospheric stability class and wind speed
ALOHA requires atmospheric stability class and wind speed as key meteorological inputs to compute toxic concentration zones.
Question 4: A 'shelter-in-place' order during an airborne chemical release is MOST effective when building air exchange rates are:
- Less than 0.5 air changes per hour (Correct answer)
- Greater than 3 air changes per hour
- Exactly 1 air change per hour
- Equal to outdoor wind speed
Correct answer: Less than 0.5 air changes per hour
Tightly sealed buildings with low air exchange rates (<0.5 ACH) significantly reduce indoor infiltration of outdoor contaminants during shelter-in-place.
Question 5: Which document in an emergency response plan specifies the phone numbers, roles, and escalation order for notifying regulatory agencies after an air quality incident?
- Emergency Notification Procedure (Correct answer)
- Hazard Vulnerability Analysis
- Tier II Report
- Source Inventory Database
Correct answer: Emergency Notification Procedure
The Emergency Notification Procedure outlines contact lists, escalation chains, and regulatory reporting requirements for incidents.
Question 6: The CAMEO (Computer-Aided Management of Emergency Operations) software suite is primarily used by air quality responders for:
- Chemical hazard assessment and emergency planning (Correct answer)
- Continuous emissions monitoring calibration
- PM2.5 filter gravimetric analysis
- Stack test protocol development
Correct answer: Chemical hazard assessment and emergency planning
CAMEO integrates chemical property data, mapping, and dispersion modeling tools to support emergency planners and responders.
Question 7: After a wildfire smoke event, air quality specialists should prioritize re-opening outdoor schools when the AQI for PM2.5 falls below which level?
- 101 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups threshold)
- 51 (Moderate threshold) (Correct answer)
- 151 (Unhealthy threshold)
- 201 (Very Unhealthy threshold)
Correct answer: 51 (Moderate threshold)
AQI values of 0–100 (Good or Moderate) are generally acceptable for outdoor activities at schools; re-opening when below 101 ensures safety for most students.
AQS Emergency Response & Preparedness 2
Under NIMS (National Incident Management System), who holds ultimate responsibility for all incident objectives during an air quality emergency?