The textbook consists of 12 chapters with chapters 1-3 addressing preparing for the incident and chapters 4-12 addressing how to respond safely to a hazardous materials incident. Chapter 4 is written as a "bridge chapter" and provides an overview of the Eight Step Process© which is a systematic way of approaching a haz mat incident. Chapters 5-12 expand on Chapter 4 by dedicating one chapter to each of the Eight Steps.