Book excerpt: This revised fourth edition has been thoroughly updated to fully address the specific needs of firefighters and other professionals who deal with hazardous materials. This volume encompasses the key aspects of safely handling hazardous materials and the response actions to be implemented during terrorist actions, hazardous transportation mishaps and other disasters. This volume examines some features of matter and energy, flammable gases and flammable liquids, chemical forms of matter, as well as the principles of chemical reactions, aspects of the dot hazardous materials regulations, the chemistry of common elements, corrosive materials, water-reactive substances, toxic substances, oxidizers, hazardous organic compounds, polymeric materials, explosive materials and radioactive materials. For emergency responders, firefighters and others potentially involved with hazardous materials.