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Mission-Specific
Competencies:
Mass
Decontamination
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Objectives (1 of 3)
• Describe the steps required to perform
mass decontamination on ambulatory and
nonambulatory victims
• Describe three ways to reduce or
eliminate contamination on victims
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Objectives (2 of 3)
• Describe the reference sources available
for responders charged with performing
mass decontamination
• Describe methods for crowd control
• Describe how to evaluate effectiveness of
a mass decontamination process
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Objectives (3 of 3)
• Describe the importance of completing
reports and documentation of mass
decontamination operations
• Describe the importance of evidence
preservation during mass decontamination
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Mass Decontamination Is Like
Emergency Decontamination
• Important to identify contaminant
• Proper level of PPE must be selected
• Predetermined process to perform
decontamination
• Coordinated using Incident Command
System (ICS)
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Mass Decontamination Is Unlike
Emergency Decontamination
• Same tasks addressed much more quickly
• Often without enough trained personnel
• Inaccurate/incomplete information
• People will be scared and looking for help
– Complicates your situation
– Effective communication is important
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Priority for Both Emergency and
Mass Decontamination
• Life safety is number one priority
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Mass Decontamination Overview
(1 of 2)
• Rapid assessment of situation
• Rapid assessment of number of victims
• Attempt to identify contaminant
• Set up process
• Wear proper type and level of PPE
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Mass Decontamination Overview
(2 of 2)
• Can take place in:
– Street
– Parking lot
• Extent required driven by contaminant
– Efforts match properties
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Mass Decontamination Procedure
Example 1 (1 of 2)
• Placing two vehicles side by side
• Fog-type nozzles
• Victims walk between the two vehicles
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Mass Decontamination Procedure
Example 1 (2 of 2)

An example of a simple mass decontamination corridor using two

fire engines.
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Mass Decontamination Procedure
Example 2 (1 of 2)
• Aerial equipment can be used
– Can be ladder device
– Complete overhead spray pattern
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Mass Decontamination Procedure
Example 2 (2 of 2)

Mass decontamination is often accomplished using fire apparatus.

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Mass Decontamination Methods

• Different for
– Ambulatory victims (able to walk)
– Nonambulatory victims (unable to walk)
• Some jurisdictions set up separate areas
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Nonambulatory Victims
• Require significant number of emergency
personnel to decontaminate
• Slower process
• Physically taxing on responders
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Ambulatory Victims
• Pre-plumbed, rapid-deploy shelters
available
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Three Ways to Eliminate
Contamination
• Dilution
• Isolation
• Washing
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Dilution
• Adds water (or other substance) to
contaminant
• Decreases concentration of contaminant
• Fast and economical
• Will not work for viscous, oily liquids and
insoluble substances
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Isolation and Disposal

• Removes items that cannot be properly
decontaminated
• Isolates them in designated area
• Tags them
• Can be treated as evidence
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Washing
• Effective for most harmful substances
• Simple
• Douse victims with soap-and-water
solution
• Rinse with water
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Reference Sources (1 of 2)
• Information on released material can be
obtained from:
– Bystanders or witnesses
– Placards
– Normal occupancy of buildings at the scene
– Types of containers involved
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Reference Sources (2 of 2)

Look carefully for indicators of a hazardous material.

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Emergency Response Guidebook
(ERG) (1 of 2)
• Useful for basis of initial actions
• Not primary source of information after
first 15 minutes of response
• For fire fighters, police, and emergency
personnel
• Evacuation distances, basic action plans
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Emergency Response Guidebook
(ERG) (2 of 2)

The Emergency Response Guidebook.

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Placards (1 of 2)
• Diamond-shaped indicators
• Must be placed on all four sides of
vehicles containing hazardous materials
– Highway transport vehicles
– Railroad tank cars
– Other forms of transportation
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Placards (2 of 2)

A placard identifies the broad hazard class for materials carried

by a transport vehicle.
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Labels
• Relate to potential hazard inside particular
package
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Additional Reference Sources

• Online databases, medical references
• Poison control centers
• Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry (ATSDR)
• CHEMTREC (U.S.), CANUTEC (Canada),
or SETIQ (Mexico)
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NFPA Marking System (1 of 2)

• Labels designed for fixed-facility use
• Found on:
– Outsides of buildings
– Doorways to chemical storage areas
– Fixed storage tanks
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NFPA Marking System (2 of 2)

The NFPA 704 hazard identification system is designed for fixed-

facility use.
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Crowd Control (1 of 2)
• Generally more frightened victims than
calm responders
• Responders must conduct themselves:
– In a way that commands respect
– In a way that establishes them as authority
figures
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Crowd Control (2 of 2)
• Use naturally occurring barriers
• Use uniformed officers to direct flow of
victims
• Use megaphone or fire engine’s external
speaker for commands
• Retain control
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Evaluating the Effectiveness of
Mass Decontamination
• At end of mass decontamination process
• pH paper for corrosive material
• Monitoring devices
• Radiological detection devices
• Health officials may assist
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Reports and Documentation (1 of 3)

• Prepared after incident has been
terminated
• Complete and accurate as possible
• Legal account
• Completed by person responsible for
decontamination
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Reports and Documentation (2 of 3)

• Includes:
– Names of those decontaminated (if possible)
– Information about released substance
– Level of protection worn by responders
– Actions taken to limit responder exposure
– Details of decontamination process
– Evidence collected
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Reports and Documentation (3 of 3)

Record the information from the incident in a complete and

accurate manner.
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Evidence Preservation
• Life safety is first priority
• Preserve potential evidence
• Attempt to track victims’ valuables and
clothing
• Consider using small, tagged bags
• Follow incident plan for securing evidence
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Summary (1 of 2)
• Mass decontamination quickly performs
emergency decontamination on large
number of victims
• Occurs in street, parking lot, other area
• Nature of contaminant drives
decontamination plan
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Summary (2 of 2)
• Use dilution, isolation and disposal, and
washing
• Perform crowd control
• Evidence preservation, documentation,
and reporting are important