Brenda Wright Hazardous Materials Specialist II
Altadena,CA
Summary
Utilizing my formal training with environmental and public health regulatory experience, I seek to obtain a professional employment position within Los Angeles County.
Over the entire tenure of my Hazardous Materials abatement career, I aggressively performed all facets of hazardous material management and emergency incident resolution with the Los Angeles County Fire Department Health Hazardous Materials Unit. Effective service not only entailed field maneuvers at major industrial sites, along with interactions with operators of small business installations; reported to public officials, on going collaboration with other government agencies and vendors, protecting members of the public and making referrals to community residents of available resources were essential steps in full incident abatement. My formal training, my overall professional experience and expertise provides me a working knowledge in professional office practices of Los Angeles County.
My proficiency in the Los Angeles County work environment will enable me to effectively interface with all other County Departments and professional offices.
Overview
43
43
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Hazardous Materials Specialist II
County of Los Angeles Fire Department
Los Angeles, CA
09.1991 - Current
- Served as a first responder to over 2,800 public and private hazardous materials environment crime emergencies due to storage, spillage and when aggravated by flammable combustion.
- Conducted over 10,000 safety inspections to ensure local, state, and federal regulations compliance regarding hazardous materials.
- Issued and abated over 10,000 Environmental and Public Health Notice of Violations.
- Provided technical guidance on proper storage methods for hazardous materials.
- Served as an Expert Witness in Environmental Crime court cases as required.
- Hearing Officer for non-compliant hazardous material handlers and hazardous waste generators.
- Developed protocols for sampling and analysis of hazardous substances in air, water, soil, sediment and other media.
- Reviewed engineering drawings and specifications to determine compliance with prevailing regulations regarding safe handling of hazardous materials.
- Created training programs for personnel working with or around hazardous materials.
- Tracked chemical inventories and environmental sampling.
- Delivered excellent customer service using effective interpersonal and problem-solving skills.
- Developed clean-up and removal strategy for each individual case based on materials in question and available resources.
- Served as Emergency Response Coordinator, routing and assigning Hazardous Materials Units during various stages of incident abatement.
Environmental Hlth Manager Fmrly-Sr Sanitarian
Los Angeles County Environmental Health
Los Angeles
10.1987 - 04.1997
- Inspected over 3,600 multi-family housing units, restaurants, supermarkets, hospitals, day care centers and other places where food is prepared or served.
- Ensured that all relevant laws governing housing units and food safety are being followed.
- Conducted trainings on topics such as personal hygiene, temperature control and chemical usage.
- Provided technical assistance during epidemiological investigations into possible cases of food poisoning or other infectious diseases.
- Responded promptly to complaints about unsanitary conditions at businesses or residences.
- Conducted inspections of housing units and food service establishments to ensure compliance with health regulations and safety standards.
- Trained newly employed Sanitarians and Sanitarian Trainees
Environmental Hlth Spec IV -Fmrly Reg Sanitarian
LA County Public Health
Los Angeles
06.1982 - 06.1987
- Conducted over 1,800 comprehensive housing. food safety inspections and risk assessments of restaurants, retail establishments, and food processing facilities.
- Performed regular surveillance activities and complaint investigations to detect any violations of sanitary codes or regulations.
- Reviewed all relevant documents pertaining to the operation of a facility such as permits, plans and reports.
- Maintained detailed records of inspections performed including observations made during the inspection process as well as corrective actions taken by the facility operator.
- Responded promptly to emergency calls involving public health threats such as chemical spills or outbreaks of communicable diseases.
Sanitarian Trainee
Los Angeles County Public Health
Los Angeles, CA
06.1981 - 06.1982
- Conducted 360 inspections of multiple family units and food service establishments to ensure compliance with health regulations and safety standards.
- Monitored the implementation of pest control programs in commercial kitchens.
- Maintained records of inspection results, documenting violations and corrective actions taken.
Administrative & Project Manager
Taylor Construction General Contractors
Los Angeles
04.1974 - present
- Developed project plans and timelines for successful completion of projects.
- Monitored project budgets and tracked expenses.
- Established project budgets and tracked expenditures.
- Prepared cost estimates for projects of varying sizes.
- Negotiated with project stakeholders or suppliers to obtain resources or materials.
Education
Associate of Arts - Early Childhood Education
El Camino College
Torrance, CA05-2003
Bachelor of Science - Medical Technology W/Public Health Minor
California University Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA06-1982
Bachelor of Science - Biology W/Chemistry Minor
Loma Linda University
Riverside, CA06-1978
Skills
- Public Speaking
- Site Safety Coordinator
- Multi-unit Operations Management
- Reading Safety Manuals
- Apply Codes and Regulations
- Identify Hazardous Materials Utilizing Haz Mat Identification Chart
- Stakeholder Communications
- Online Materials Research
- Data Mining
- Data Analysis
- Meeting facilitation
- Scheduling Coordinator
- Vendor Sourcing
- Technical Support
- Logistics Management
- Project Management
- Risk Management
- Contract Management
- Work Flow Planning
- Workforce Training
- Project Development
- Procedure Development
- Document Management
- Compliance Monitoring
- Strategic Planning
- Root Cause Analysis
- Productivity Improvement
- Client Relations
- Business Process Re-engineering
- Presentations
- Script Writing
- Videography
- Video Editing
- Photography
- Conflict Management
- Permit Processing
- Project Scheduling
- Staff Training and Motivation
- Budgeting and Forecasting
- Requirements Gathering
- Safety Protocol
- Business Analysis
- Building codes and regulations
- Stakeholder Communications
- Staff Management
- Staff training and mentoring
- Budget Preparation
- Customer Relations
- Microsoft Office Suite expert
- Purchasing and Procurement
- Customer Relations Specialist
- Performance Improvements
- Concrete Estimation
- Contract Development
- Project Scope Analysis
- Quality Assurance and Control
- Data Review
- Construction Management
- Contract Negotiation Expertise
- Plant Propagation
- Organic Gardening
Certification
- LA County Fire Department Peer Support
- Cal Office of Emergency Service Certified Hazardous Materials Specialists 2015
- Cal Office of Emergency Service Certified Hazardous Materials Technician 2015
- State of California Registered Environmental Health Specialist 1982 (Retired 2023-can be reactivated)
- Life & Health Insurance Agent 2021
- Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation
- Basic Life Support Training
Affiliations
- Away from the rigors of work, making floral arrangements for theme holidays proves to be very relaxing.
- I keep my spirit grounded by teaching Bible stories each week to the small children at my church. Some stories of the Bible are true adventure stories.
Timeline
Hazardous Materials Specialist II
County of Los Angeles Fire Department
09.1991 - Current
Environmental Hlth Manager Fmrly-Sr Sanitarian
Los Angeles County Environmental Health
10.1987 - 04.1997
Environmental Hlth Spec IV -Fmrly Reg Sanitarian
LA County Public Health
06.1982 - 06.1987
Sanitarian Trainee
Los Angeles County Public Health
06.1981 - 06.1982
Administrative & Project Manager
Taylor Construction General Contractors
04.1974 - present
Associate of Arts - Early Childhood Education
El Camino College
Bachelor of Science - Medical Technology W/Public Health Minor
California University Los Angeles
Bachelor of Science - Biology W/Chemistry Minor
Loma Linda University
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