Decontamination

Question 1: 

Describe the four stages of decontamination and their importance in the decontamination process.  Explain at least two initial decontamination considerations, and why and when these considerations are important.  Support your analysis with appropriate references.

Your initial post should be at least 250-300 words in length. Support your claims with examples from required material(s) and other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references.

The role of decontamination is to make a person or making his or her tool safe by taking away quickly the harmful substances physically (Dame et al., 2005). There are various stages of decontamination, and each of these stages depends on each other (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2017).). The initial phase of cleanup is emergency decontamination, which primarily aims at rapid removal of the most tainted items from exposed equipment or a person. This form of decontamination removes about two-thirds of the harmful substances from the body. The next stage is the mass decontamination (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2017). This level involves rapid removal of harmful substances from several individuals.

For instance, the firefighter can apply their hoses in spraying water on individuals to get rid of the toxic materials. Also, gross decontamination always takes place in a decontamination corridor and performed by certified and trained responders after the exit of the emergency teams from the dangerous environment (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2017).). Furthermore, technical decontamination is part of the gross stage, and the cleaning process often gets done by scrubbing and cleaning materials after persons have undergone pre-washing. Maniscalco and Christen (2011) connote that technical decontamination stage also comprises of cleaning the tools that the entry team used. Thus, it is valid to suggest that all the four scenes mentioned above are equally significant, and given that decontamination has its function, they are applicable for each condition.

However, there are two stages of decontamination that seem essential. The first one is emergency decontamination. This step is significant since it involves a rapid removal of more than half of the toxic substances, from a body of an individual. The process always gets done by the firefighters and the first responders (Chapelet et al., 2005). Another stage that seems essential is mass decontamination. In this stage, the first responders need to come up with a strategy to remove contaminants from a group of people. The scene is significant since it provides a solution for decontaminating a large group of people at once.

Question 2:

Explain a Class Three ensemble.  Include levels of protection, functionality, and limitations.  Identify the proper respiratory protection for a Class Three ensemble, and explain how this particular device functions.  Provide a unique example of when a first responder would utilize a Class Three ensemble.

The NFPA 1994 class three Ensemble protects individuals against biological and chemical terrorism accidents (Forsberg, 2001). It is a nuclear, radiological, chemical and biological ensemble for protection, which has the responsibility is to provide solutions for urgent terrorism incidences involving low level of chemical exposure and or vapor, in which the concentration is below the immediate risk to health and life that allows the application of the nuclear, radiological, and biological and chemical air-purifying respirators. 

In the ensemble, individuals accesses hoods and that the garment should fit the headgear to ensure that one gets protected and complies with the Industrial Head Protection. Forsberg (2014) connotes that ensemble should get certified with the air-purifying respirator that ensures the coverings for the mouth, nose, and eyes (Forsberg, 2001). However, it has some limitations which include, limited protection against splashes that may influence chemical damage. As a result, liquid-borne pathogens may get into contact with the fluids in the human body which may cause infections. For one to attain the respiratory protection on the ensemble, there is a need to use the attached hood and respirator facepiece (Forsberg, 2014). The respirator can filter gases which ensures protection to the wearer. The role of the attached hood is to provide that an individual stay protected from getting exposed to agents that may damage the neck or head of the wearer. 

Question 3: 

Identify two different facilities that may be likely targets of a terrorist attack in your community or city (e.g., water resources, city power supply, a football or baseball stadium at maximum capacity, a Navy or Marine base, an Army post, a high school, a mall, office buildings, a primary road into the community, a downtown city center, Federal Buildings, etc.). For each facility, address the following:

1. Explain why these facilities are vulnerable and likely targets.

There are two different facilities that terrorist are likely to target in a city or a community. The two facilities include shopping centers and airplane terminals (Keating, 2013). Airplane terminals are vulnerable since they provide the terrorist with the quality they need since they are likely to get covered in the international news media. They will be making of general alert. Additionally, in these terminals, there is a large population that uses them (Keating, 2013). Thus, such groupings act as a target for the terrorists, since they will be able to harm a large number of people. Similarly, shopping centers always comprise of many gatherings. Therefore, the high get together of people act as a focus of terrorism. Hence, shopping centers and airplane terminals are vulnerable since the massive convergence of people is likely to attract the assailants. 

2. The facility has been hit by a chemical terrorist attack. Describe the proper decontamination stage and initial decontamination considerations that are specific to the facility that has been hit in your area.

There are various issues to consider when terrorists have hit a facility. These conditions may include the application of decontamination techniques, methods, and standards. The contemplations seem to think through correspondences, control, summon and arranging the skills required for decontamination in noteworthy offices, to integrate deactivating a team, characterizing and choosing a common purification location, and safeguarding the operating portion of beginning central that the missions of disinfection operation require (SBCCOM, 2000). One need to attain patient purification as the patient and operation burden requires. In many cases, differing treatment of an individual for decontamination do not expose him or her to another risk. Thus, the triage trained, and qualified workforce emphasizes the need for cleanup and treatment. Additionally, there is a need to consider the following decontamination principles; decontaminate as soon as possible, purify by priority, decontaminate crucial situations, purify far away. 

3. Explain why your chosen initial decontamination considerations are important to this particular attack, and explain how, as a first responder, you will meet these challenges. (For example, if your city’s power supply is 20 miles from the nearest water supply, how will you cope with the availability of water?)

The initial contamination is appropriate for this particular attack since it involves a rapid removal of more than half of the toxic substances, from a body of contaminated individuals. As a result, it would help in protecting the victims from certain damages and health issues. Thus, after the chemical event, the health center should have sufficient assets that would accommodate the needs of the patients who will show up after the incident (Ramesh & Kumar, 2010). The choices to label the assets would need to get done till the additional assets get accessible. Meaning that only few will get treated. Thus, there the best option is to distribute the hard assets with appropriate triage field. 

The first reaction is scene management. There will need to segregate to reduce the risks. The appropriate way to manage the scene will require the responders to control access from and to the stage where the incident has occurred, control how the contaminated individuals should move, apply safe operating strategies and be able to control the release of any toxins (Gray et al., 2012). After arriving at the scene, the first responders will need to initiate the following actions;

• Approach the scene with upwind and caution. 
• Examine the scene.
• Create an incident command.
• Identify the CBRN signs and indicators.
• Determine whether it is a hazardous or CBRN material incident.
• Determine the number of victims and causalities if any.
• Determine the required resources.
• Carry out initial decontamination.
• Consider the requirements of the specialist. 

After scene management, there will need to create causality management zones. When responding to the chemical incident, the responders need to create a clean treatment environment, 300 yards and above from the contaminated location (Ramesh & Kumar, 2010). The infected region is the hot zone while chilly zone refers to the clean treatment area. The part between the two is the location for decontamination referred to as the warm zone (Ramesh & Kumar, 2010). The zone should be more than fifty yards from the chilly area and more than a hundred yards from the contaminated area.  The responders will need to get off the hot region by using the routes assigned into the purification zone, where they will get decontaminated. 

At this point, there is no need to provide medical care. It is a stage used to start the cleaning. Additionally, before the patients get off the hot region, he or she needs to get balanced out to a level that his or her situation is not likely to decay (Ramesh & Kumar, 2010). Furthermore, all the responders need to take appropriate measure to ensure that they are secure before they get into the contaminated areas. Also, they should utilize the PPE, so that safeguard the eyes, skin and aviation path. 

References

Chapelet-Arab, B., Nowogrocki, G., Abraham, F., & Grandjean, S. (2005). U (IV)/Ln (III) unexpected mixed site in polymetallic oxalate complexes. Part I. Substitution of Ln (III) for U (IV) from the new oxalate (NH 4) 2 U 2 (C 2 O 4) 5· 0.7 H 2 O. Journal of Solid State Chemistry, 178(10), 3046-3054. Retrieved from: https://ac.els- cdn.com/S1876619616300912/1-s2.0-S1876619616300912-main.pdf?_tid=11d3eb27- 9fa5-4856-bbd5- 594d96f0cc7c&acdnat=1546614718_763de58a493191c526d08e331a85ac07.

Dame, C., Fritz, C., Pitois, O., & Faure, S. (2005). Relations between physicochemical properties and instability of decontamination foams. Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 263(1-3), 210-218. Retrieved from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0927775705000075.

Forsberg, K. (2001). Chemical protective clothing. Patty’s Industrial Hygiene, 1235-1262. Retrieved from: http://www2.dupont.com/Personal_Protection/en_US/assets/downloads/tychem/h97810nf pagarmentssell.pdf.

Forsberg, K., Van den Borre, A., Henry III, N., & Zeigler, J. P. (2014). Quick selection guide to chemical protective clothing. John Wiley & Sons. Retrieved from: https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=R9qYAwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR10 &dq=DuPont%E2%84%A2+Tychem%C2%AE+Suits+and+Ensembles+Certified+to+N FPA+1991+and+1994+Standards&ots=CyALS5w94k&sig=w0L- syn7zQtLrV5tPEXPwG4gdPI#v=onepage&q&f=false.

Gray, R. A., Williams, P. L., Dubbins, P. A., & Jenks, P. J. (2012). Decontamination of transvaginal ultrasound probes: a review of national practice and need for national guidelines. Clinical radiology, 67(11), 1069-1077. Retrieved from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0009926012001237.

Keating, J. (2013). Why Shopping Malls Are Attractive Targets for Terrorists. Retrieved from http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_world_/2013/09/24/nairobi_westgate_mall_attack_why_ shopping_centers_are_attractive_targets.html.

Maniscalco, P., & Christen, H. T. (2010). Homeland Security: Principles and Practice of Terrorism Response. Jones & Bartlett Learning. Retrieved: https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=P9kZexsumLAC&oi=fnd&pg=PR12&d q=Maniscalco,+P.M.,+%26+Christen,+H.T.+(2011).+Homeland+security+principles+an d+practice+of+terrorism+response.+Sudbury,+MA:+Jones+and+Bartlett+Publishers&ots =Yks-yXC7jt&sig=gJaJvEbKs5SL1T9IgCLoLfKz13g#v=onepage&q&f=false.

Ramesh, A. C., & Kumar, S. (2010). Triage, monitoring, and treatment of mass casualty events involving chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear agents. Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences, 2(3), 239. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3148628/.

SBCCOM. (2000). Guidelines for Mass Casualty Decontamination During a Terrorist Chemical Agent Incident. Retrieved from http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/army/sbccom_decon.pdf.

US Department of Health and Human Services. (2014). Chemical hazards emergency medical management. START Adult Triage Algorithm.Retrieved from https://chemm.nlm.nih.gov/decontamination.htm.