Willow Grove operates joint hazmat pharmacy

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Eric M. Sharman
  • 913th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
WILLOW GROVE AIR RESERVE STATION, Pa. (AFPN) --  More joint operations seem to be the way of the future for America's military, with the four branches of service sharing land, runways, missions and services. At Willow Grove, they are sharing chemicals, too.

Located on the southeast side of the base, the hazmat pharmacy here provides the chemical supply function for supply accounts from all four branches of service.

The facility’s joint status began in October 2004 when it acquired 54 hazmat-supply accounts from the Air Force Reserve’s 913th Airlift Wing and the Air National Guard’s 111th Fighter Wing here, giving them a total of 130 accounts.

"For the Navy, Air Force, Army and Marines, anything from general-purpose cleaner to spray paint, just fax over your forms and we will hook you up," said Navy Chief Petty Officer Daniel Warner, chief storekeeper. "And, if we don't have it, we can get it."

With 342 different materials on hand, it would not be common for a unit in its day-to-day duties to need something that was not already on-site. However, if an item is needed, a catalog of more than 2,200 items can be ordered, he said.

The warehouse storage facility has five storage rooms. Each chemical stored on-site falls into one of five categories: combustible, flammable, corrosives, aerosol and general purpose.

Besides storing chemicals, the storage rooms provide required safety precautions and personal protective equipment. These include fire extinguishers, decontamination showers, eyewash stations, chemical drainage grates and ventilation systems.

The hazmat pharmacy also has an electronic library containing 4,935 material safety data sheets. The sheets explain how to handle or work with a particular substance. These information sheets outline physical data, toxicity, health effects, first aid, reactivity, storage, disposal, protective equipment, and spill and leak procedures. This information is crucial to the safety of the pharmacy staff and to their customers if a spill or other accident occurs.

"I wish we were in this process a long time ago," said Master Sgt. Robert Maiuro, 913th Propulsion Flight chief. "It's very user friendly."

In the past, Sergeant Maiuro and his troops had to order items directly from the supply system. Since these materials were not kept on hand in the base supply system, it would take about a week for an item to arrive on base. The process slowed production time for his people because they could not put together an engine if they did not have a sealant or other chemical needed.

"Now all I have to do is call over there, give them the information on what I need, and they call me back in about two hours to tell me my order is ready," Sergeant Maiuro said. "It's so simple."

Besides faster orders, the facility improved the accuracy of the accountability documents showing what customers have on their shelves.

"It used to take a few days to get items removed from my materials list the old way," Sergeant Maiuro said. "Now, I call over and they take it off right there while on the phone with me. This way, if I have an unannounced inspection, everything is accurate. What I have on paper is the same as what I have on hand ... it couldn't be better."

By consolidating the pharmacy process in one central location and providing top-notch customer service, the facility saves time for its customers and money for taxpayers. (Courtesy of Air Force Reserve Command News Service)