Columbia Fire Department mutual aid hazardous materials incident, Callaway County, Dec. 3rd

On Wednesday, Dec. 3, at 8:04 p.m., Columbia Fire Department (CFD) units were dispatched to a request for mutual aid in Callaway County for CFD's Hazardous Materials (HazMat) team.

CFD companies arrived to reports of homeowners who had discovered a wet substance on the outside of grocery bags. The substance had caused skin irritation, melting of material on a coat and a reaction to a cleaning agent used to wipe a counter, which led to the discoloration of a countertop.

CFD firefighters, who are also certified HazMat technicians, collected a sample from the cargo area of a vehicle used to transport the grocery bags and determined the substance to be a 25% sulfuric acid solution. The cargo mat and affected areas of the vehicle were decontaminated by team members. Callaway County properly disposed of the bags and coat.

The homeowners were medically evaluated on scene and declined any further medical care or transportation. The cause and origin of the substance is currently under investigation by Callaway County.

The Columbia Fire Department had 2 units and a battalion chief with 6 personnel on scene, including 4 certified HazMat technicians. All Columbia Fire units returned to service in the city within 2 hours.

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