United States Government DOT Department of Transportation PHMSA's 2016 Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG) provides first responders with a go-to manual to help deal with hazmat transportation accidents during the critical first 30 minutes. DOT's goal is to place an ERG in every public emergency service vehicle nationwide. It is a guidebook intended for use by first responders during the initial phase of a transportation incident involving dangerous goods or hazardous materials. The 2016 Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG2016) was developed jointly by Transport
Canada (TC), the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the Secretariat of Communications and Transport of Mexico (SCT) and with the collaboration of CIQUIME (Centro de Información
Química para Emergencias) of Argentina, for use by fire fighters, police, and other emergency services personnel who may be the first to arrive at the scene of a transportation incident involving dangerous goods. It is primarily a guide to aid first responders in quickly identifying the specific or generic hazards of the material(s) involved in the incident,
and protecting themselves and the general public during the initial response phase of the incident. For the purposes of this guidebook, the "initial response phase" is that period following arrival at the scene of an incident during which the presence and/or identification of dangerous goods is confirmed, protective actions and area securement are initiated, and assistance of qualified personnel is requested. It is not intended to provide information on the physical or chemical properties of dangerous goods.