Ch. 10 - Mass Decon Flashcards
The physical process of reducing or removing surface contaminants from large numbers of victims in potentially life-threatening situations in the fastest time possible
Mass decontamination
Emergency = “bulk of contaminants…without regard for containment” and “without formal establishment of decon corridor”
Mass decon.
Critical to the success of the operation:
Your ability to bring some level of ORDER to the situation.
COMMUNICATE effectively with this population of people
Mass decon similar to Emergency decon in what respects? (4)
1st, ID contaminant and secure source of water.
2nd, Select proper PPE.
3rd, Predetermined process/procedure to perform decon.
Lastly, Coordinated using ICS
Mass decon fundamentally dissimilar to emergency decon because…
Potential high victim count AND
May not be enough trained people to quickly get system in place
Mass decon boils down to… (4)
Identifying the need Quickly.
Getting setup Quickly.
Running as many people through the process Quickly.
Incurring the least amount of risk to the responders
How many victims to shift thinking from Emergency decon to Mass decon?
10-15
Your ability to bring some level of order to the situation and communicate effectively with this population of people is ______________.
Critical to the success of the operation
The extent of the mass decontamination required is largely driven by:
The contaminant and its effect on the people
From BIG PICTURE PERSPECTIVE, mass decon boils down to: (5)
Rapid assessment of situation and number of victims. Identify contaminant. Setting up mass decon. Wearing proper type/level of PPE. Getting to work.
Decon priority.
Those who are ambulatory and without obvious signs or symptoms of exposure could be directed to an area near mass decon area
Green
Those who cannot walk on their own or are critically ill
Black box
The standard thinking regarding decontamination becomes a SECONDARY objective:
Using minimal amounts of water and recovering the potentially contaminated runoff
Those who are able to walk on their own and are symptomatic OR who are contaminated but not yet showing signs or symptoms of coming into contact with substance
Red and Yellow box victims
target population for mass decon
Target population for mass decon becomes those:
Who are able to walk on their own and are symptomatic OR who are contaminated but not yet showing s/s (red/yellow box victims)
It is important to have a method for __________________ at the back end of the process
Checking the Effectiveness of decontamination
3 ways to reduce/eliminate contamination?
Dilution.
Isolation.
Washing.
Important to understand ______________ to devise a decontamination plan that will effectively and efficiently address the particular _____________
Nature of the contaminant.
Physical and chemical properties
Pump pressures if decon is conducted with fog nozzles attached to two pumpers
30-50 psi
2 separate areas for mass decontamination:
Nonambulatory and ambulatory
Important to choose a system that fits the responding agency’s needs based on: (4)
Staffing levels.
Anticipated number of casualties.
Topography.
Proximity to other mass decon units in the region.
Process of adding some substance to a contaminant to decrease its concentration?
Dilution
How do you check at the back end effectiveness of decon with:
Corrosive?
Solvent?
Nerve Agent?
C: pH paper
S: gas detection device
N: M8/M9 paper
Dilution.
Before using water, consider: (3)
Whether contaminant will REACT adversely with water.
Whether contaminant will be SOLUBLE.
Whether the application of water will SPREAD contaminants.
The _____ method of decontamination works best with acids and bases.
Dilution
A water temp of ____ is ideal but may not be possible.
70F
Substances that would NOT be the best candidates for a straight water wash:
Insoluble substances such as:
Benzene.
Toluene.
Most nerve agents.
Clothing removal is ______________ in reducing amount of contamination on a victim.
An excellent first step
Effective yet simple decontamination process, ideal for removing most harmful substances
Washing
The intent of mass decon is NOT to:
Concentrate on any one victim at the expense of the others
Never neutralize chemicals _________. The risk of causing more damage is not worth the potential benefit from using this approach. In such cases, _______ is the quickest, safest, and most reliable method of decontamination.
On human skin.
Water washing
Size of a placard.
10 3/4 in.
When it comes to understanding health effects of a particular substance, sources: (4)
Online databases and medically based resources.
Medical reference books.
Poison control.
ATSDR (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (part of CDC).
Because responders will be outnumbered, they must conduct themselves in a way that __________ and _________.
Commands respect, establishes them as symbols of authority.
Must also present yourself in such a way that the panicked victims will choose to follow your directions
NFPA 704 system is only useful for _____ ______.
Broad hazards
Size of a label
4 in.
Primary audience for the ERG?
Firefighters, police, and other emergency services personnel
A few of the typical indicators of the presence and/or release of a hazardous material (5)
- Bystanders or witnesses
- Placards
- Normal occupancy of buildings at the scene (such as chem storage)
- Types of containers involved
- Presence of fire or explosions
_____ and _____ are just as contagious as panic.
Calmness, orderly behavior
Documentation relating to Mass decon should be: (3)
Very detailed.
Thorough.
Easy to find.
Is a two-step process for removing items that CANNOT be properly DECONTAMINATED from the incident scene
Isolation and disposal
Isolation and disposal.
Isolated items may be: (3)
Retained as evidence.
Tested further to identify released substance.
Transported to an approved disposal facility.
Included in overall documentation: (7)
Names of all persons decontaminated.
Information about released substance.
Level of protection by responders.
Actions taken to limit exposures to responders.
Detailed description of decon activities, including solutions.
Any evidence collected/samples taken.
Other observations
_______ may be the people who put the pieces together and realize the incident is criminal in nature.
First responders
