Willow Grove operates joint hazmat pharmacy Published Oct. 19, 2005 By By Staff Sgt. Eric M. Sharman 913th Airlift Wing Public Affairs WILLOW GROVE, Pa. -- 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 Willow Grove hazmat pharmacy provides the chemical supply function for 130 supply accounts, spanning all four branches of service. The facility solidified its joint status in October 2004 when it acquired 54 hazmat-supply accounts from the 913th Airlift Wing at Willow Grove Air Reserve Station and the 111th Fighter Wing, 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 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 wasn’t already on-site. However, if an item is needed, Chief Warner has a catalogue of more than 2,200 items that he can order at a moment’s notice and store in his warehouse until someone picks it up. 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. In addition to storing chemicals, the storage rooms provide required safety precautions and personal protective equipment. These include Class ABC fire extinguishers, decontamination showers, eyewash stations, chemical drainage grates and positive-pressure ventilation systems. The hazmat pharmacy also has an electronic library containing 4,935 Material Safety Data Sheets. MSDSs explain how to handle or work with a particular substance. These information sheets outline physical data (melting point, boiling point, flash point, etc.), 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, the sergeant and his people had to order items directly from the supply system. Since these materials weren’t 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 couldn’t put together an engine if they didn’t have a sealant or other chemical needed for proper assembly. “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,” said Sergeant Maiuro. "It’s so simple.” In addition to 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,” said Sergeant Maiuro. “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 the taxpayers.