CAMEO (Computer-Aided Management of Emergency Operations) Software Suite

CAMEO is the umbrella name for a system of software applications used widely to plan for and respond to chemical emergencies. All of the programs in the suite work interactively to share and display critical information in a timely fashion; the programs can also be used individually. ALOHA (Areal Locations of Hazardous Atmospheres) is a hazard modeling tool used to evaluate the atmospheric dispersion of hazardous chemical vapors, as well as some fires and explosions. ALOHA prompts the user to enter basic scenario information (such as weather conditions and details about how the chemical is escaping), and ALOHA will create a threat zone estimate of the area where a hazard (such as toxicity or thermal radiation) has exceeded a user-specified Level of Concern (LOC). CAMEO is a database application (with eight modules) designed to assist with the data management requirements under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). CAMEO Chemicals features an extensive database of chemical datasheets that provide critical response information, including physical properties, health hazards, air and water hazards, and recommendations for firefighting, first aid, and spill response. Additionally, it also has a reactivity prediction tool that can be used to estimate what hazards (such as explosions or chemical fires) could occur if chemicals were to mix together. MARPLOT (Mapping Applications for Response, Planning, and Local Operational Tasks) is a mapping program; users can quickly view and modify maps, and they can create their own objects to place on the maps. ALOHA threat zones can be displayed on a map in MARPLOT, and objects on the map (such as facilities) can be linked to related records in the CAMEO program. Tier2 Submit is an adjunct program in the suite, which allows users to complete EPCRA Tier II forms electronically. The facility, chemical inventory, and contact information entered into Tier2 Submit can also be imported into the corresponding modules in CAMEO.

The CAMEO suite is an integrated set of programs designed to help emergency planners and responders plan for and quickly respond to chemical accidents.

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The CAMEO\xAE software suite is an integrated set of applications jointly developed by NOAA and EPA. The suite includes four core programs: ALOHA\xAE (a modeling application that estimates threat zones associated with hazardous chemical releases), CAMEO (a database application to assist with data management for emergency planning and response), CAMEO Chemicals (a database of hazardous chemical datasheets), and MARPLOT\xAE (a mapping program). Tier2 Submit is an adjunct program to the suite; it is used to complete Tier II forms electronically and that information can be imported into the CAMEO program.

The CAMEO suite was selected by the United Nations Environment Programme as a tool to help developing nations prepare for and respond to chemical accidents. Under UNEP's Awareness and Preparedness for Emergencies at the Local Level (APPELL) program, the CAMEO suite has been demonstrated or taught in 50 countries.

ALOHA will estimate the source strength for three types of chemical source releases: puddles, tanks (gas, unpressurized liquid, and pressurized liquid), and gas pipelines. Users can also bypass ALOHA's calculations and provide their own source strength values for a gas using the direct source to describe a release directly into the atmosphere. Depending on the release conditions, ALOHA can model several different types of scenarios: toxic vapor clouds, flammable area of vapor clouds, vapor cloud explosions, pool fires, jet fires, and Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosions (BLEVEs). For dispersion scenarios, ALOHA models dispersion of both neutrally-buoyant (Gaussian) gases and heavier-than-air gases. ALOHA only estimates one type of hazard for each scenario; the hazards modeled in ALOHA are toxicity, flammability, thermal radiation, and overpressure. ALOHA's threat zone estimates are displayed on a grid in ALOHA or on a map in MARPLOT, and users can get information on the hazard level at a specific location using the threat point feature. Users can save accident scenarios as ALOHA-readable files, then easily evaluate a variety of scenarios and archive results. Contents of output windows can be readily transferred to documents and reports in word-processing or graphics applications. The CAMEO program has eight modules: Facilities, Chemicals in Inventory, Contacts, Incidents, Special Locations, Routes, Resources, and Screening and Scenarios. The first seven modules are a place for users to enter information about chemicals that are stored or transported in their communities, as well as information about locations that may need special attention during a chemical accident and resources that may be useful in a response. The Screening and Scenarios module can be used to model potential threat zones as required under EPCRA. CAMEO Chemicals includes two primary types of datasheets. Chemical datasheets provide physical properties, health hazards, information about air and water hazards, and recommendations for firefighting, first aid, and spill response. UN/NA datasheets provide response information from the Emergency Response Guidebook and shipping information from the Hazardous Materials Table (49 CFR 172.101). In addition to the information on the datasheets, users can also add chemical datasheets to the MyChemicals collection to see what hazards might occur if the chemicals in the collection were mixed together. MARPLOT comes pre-loaded with some map data, and users can add their own map data. Users can display ALOHA threat zones on the map and link map objects to records in the CAMEO program. Users can also perform population estimates using U.S. Census data. Tier2 Submit includes all of the fields from the EPCRA Tier II forms, as well as some additional fields that are required or requested by states. Users can generate paper or electronic files to submit according to their state's requirements, and users can also import that data into the CAMEO program.

http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/cameosuite

The United States Government has used its best efforts to incorporate accurate and complete data into ALOHA\xAE, CAMEO\xAE, CAMEO Chemicals, and MARPLOT\xAE. Nevertheless, the United States government does not warrant accuracy or completeness, is not responsible for errors and omissions, and is not liable for any direct, indirect or consequential damages flowing from the recipient's use of ALOHA, CAMEO, CAMEO Chemicals, and MARPLOT. The CAMEO suite software programs are being distributed "as is" and the United States government does not make any warranty claims, either expressed or implied, with respect to the software, its quality, accuracy, completeness, performance, merchantability or fitness for any intended purpose.

The desktop programs in the CAMEO software suite must be downloaded and installed individually.;

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ALOHA was designed with first responders in mind. Its computations represent a compromise between accuracy and speed: it has been designed to produce good results quickly enough to be of use to responders. It is intended to be used for estimating threat zones for short range, short duration chemical accidents; a threat zone is the area where a hazard (such as toxicity, flammability, thermal radiation, or damaging overpressure) has exceeded a user-specified Level of Concern (LOC). Results produced by ALOHA are estimates and should not be considered precise answers. ALOHA results can be unreliable when the following conditions exist: very low wind speeds, very stable atmospheric conditions, or concentration patchiness (particularly near the spill source). ALOHA does not account for the effects of byproducts from fires, explosions, or chemical reactions; particulates; chemical mixtures; wind shifts and terrain steering effects; terrain; or hazardous fragments.

User-entered data and imported data layers in MARPLOT conform to the latitude/longitude grid, and the data is only as accurate as the user provides. Background basemaps are also available from reputable web mapping services and online map providers.

CAMEO Chemicals database contains over 5,000 chemical datasheets and approximately 100,000 synonyms, trade names, and other names. Chemical datasheets contain names, formulas, and identification numbers for the chemical, as well as regulation information and hazards analysis information. Chemical datasheets provide detailed response information about hazardous chemicals, including data regarding the chemical's properties and toxicology.

ALOHA's user interface is designed to minimize operator error. The program checks information entered by the user before proceeding to solutions. If a particular input value is unlikely or not physically possible, ALOHA requests a new value. The CAMEO program is divided into 8 modules allowing the user to organize information needed to manage emergency planning and response. Information that pertains to the user's community can be added to all modules, allowing users to maintain basic information on facilities that store chemicals, on the inventory of chemicals at the facility (Tier II), and on emergency planning resources.