A social problem can be defined in many different ways and take on many forms. When members of a community identify something undesirable this becomes the basis of a social problem. Every community is concerned about the health and safety of its citizens. Local governments have always provided services to ensure the well being of the citizens which it serves. Fire departments, police, and emergency medical personnel are the first line of defense that helps ensure the health and safety of citizens during emergencies. The lack of these vital services would create an enormous social problem of the utmost concern. Most communities do an excellent job in preparing for potential emergencies such as hurricanes, tornados, and wild fires. However, emergencies involving hazardous materials are frequently overlooked. To overlook this type of potential emergency creates a social problem by not fully insuring the safety of citizens. Most local governments do not realize the health and safety issues they have due to the presence of hazardous materials. They also do not realize that the federal government mandates that every local community plan and prepare for hazardous material emergencies. When local communities do plan for this type of emergency they discover that hazardous materials are present and in most cases they are not adequately prepared to deal with them. Planning for hazardous material emergencies is an important step in reducing a dangerous and potential life threatening social problem.