ROBERT BURKE , hazardous materials and fire protection consultant, a Firehouse ® contributing editor, is a Certified Fire Protection Specialist (CFSP), Fire Inspector II, Fire Inspector III, Fire Investigator and Hazardous Materials Specialist, and has served on state and county hazmat teams. Burke is the author of the textbooks Hazardous Materials Chemistry for Emergency Responders , Counter-Terrorism for Emergency Responders , Fire Protection: Systems and Response and Hazmat Teams Across America . He can be contacted at robert.burke@windstream.net.
Articles by Robert
Hazmat Studies: Fire and Police Combine For Hazmat Response - Part 1
by Robert Burke
Created: May 1, 2013
Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, fire and police officials in Gwinnett...
What First Responders Need to Know About Ammonium Nitrate
by Robert Burke
Created: April 19, 2013
Ammonium nitrate, a common agricultural fertilizer, is best known as an...
Hazmat Studies: Hazmat Response In the "Research Triangle"
by Robert Burke
Created: April 14, 2013
Durham, NC, established in 1869 and known as the “City of Medicine,” is...
Hazmat Studies:Tennessee Propane Blast: A Turning Point for Hazmat
by Robert Burke
Created: January 11, 2013
The deadly train derailment and ultimate propane explosion that occurred in...
Monitoring Instruments Key to Responder Safety
by Robert Burke
Created: December 1, 2012
Hazardous materials incidents can expose emergency responders to dangers...
Hazmat Studies: 2012 ERG: A Vital Resource For First Responders
by Robert Burke
Created: October 1, 2012
T he 2012 edition of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT...
Hazmat Response In The Bluegrass Region
by Robert Burke
Created: July 1, 2012
Regional hazardous materials response teams were located throughout...
Hazmat Studies: Safe Response to Aerial Crop-Spraying Accidents
by Robert Burke
Created: February 1, 2012
Thousands of agricultural spraying, loading and fueling operations are...
Hazmat in the Heartland
by Robert Burke
Created: November 30, 2011
Resources for fire, EMS and hazardous materials responses in rural areas...
Hazmat Studies: Hazmat Response in the Heartland
by Robert Burke
Created: September 29, 2011
Resources for fire, EMS and hazardous materials responses in rural areas...
Hazmat Studies: Meet Charles County’s Tactical Response Team
by Robert Burke
Created: August 26, 2011
Charles County, considered to be part of the Washington, DC, metropolitan...
Protecting the Pentagon
by Robert Burke
Created: May 2, 2011
The Pentagon, located in Arlington County, VA, is the headquarters of...
Protecting the Pentagon
by Robert Burke
Created: March 29, 2011
The Pentagon, located in Arlington County, VA, is the headquarters of the...
Hazmat Response in Kansas City, KS
by Robert Burke
Created: January 24, 2011
Kansas City, KS, is located at Kaw Point, the junction point of the...
Remembering the Gulf Oil Refinery Fire
by Robert Burke
Created: December 3, 2010
Early in the morning of Sunday, Aug. 17, 1975, a seagoing tanker was...
Crescent City Train Derailment: 40 Years Later
by Robert Burke
Created: September 1, 2010
It was Father's Day, June 21, 1970, a peaceful Sunday in Crescent City...
Hazmat Response in Baltimore County
by Robert Burke
Created: July 1, 2010
The Baltimore County, MD, Fire Department provides fire, EMS and rescue...
Ethanol — Part 3: Transit and Fixed Facilities
by Robert Burke
Created: May 5, 2010
This is the final installment of a three-part series about ethanol and...
Ethanol — Part 2: The Manufacturing Facility
by Robert Burke
Created: March 3, 2010
Ethanol (ethyl alcohol) is the alcohol used to create beer, wine and...
The Southwest Boulevard Fire: Kansas City Remembers a Tragedy
by Robert Burke
Created: November 30, 2009
Tuesday, Aug. 18, 1959, started out like many other summer days in the...