Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
from going to the hospital without decon-
tamination.
d. Manage as a Hazardous Material
1. Leave the scene with the same
personnel you entered with, know
where they are at all times.
vii. Ensure use of personnel protectivemeasures
viii. Designate incident safety officer
ix. Designate an emergency evacuation signal
(usually a long blast of horn, or three blasts
of horn)
x. Designate a scribe to record incident
xi. Assess command post security
1. Remember that the first WTC
command post was destroyed when the
first building collapsed.
xii. Prepare for transition to unified command
h. Secondary size-up/intelligence
i. Determine number of victims
1. Ambulatory
2. Non-ambulatory
Incident
scene
i. Terrorist events with Biological, Chemical
and Nuclear devices are Hazardous Mate-
rials Incidents and should be treated as
such. “All anthrax is, is a HAZMAT with
an attitude” [5].
e. Manage as a potential crime scene
f. Ensure scene security
i. Be alert for possible secondary devices/
attacks
ii. Be alert for chemical dispersal devices
g.
Initiatescenesize-upandhazard/riskassessment
i. Review dispatch information
ii. Look for physical indicators and outward
warning signs
1. Debris field
2. Mass casualty with minimal or no
trauma
3. Responder casualties
4. Severe structural damage
5. Dead animals
6. Unusual odors, color of smoke or
vapor clouds
7. Systems disruptions (utilities,
ii.
Identify common signs/symptoms
iii.
Interview victims and witnesses, if possible
1. Is everyone accounted for?
2. Was there a threat made?
3. What happened?
4. When did it happen?
5. Where did it happen?
6. Who was involved?
7. Did they smell,
trans-
taste, hear, or feel
portation, and communications)
iii. Victims signs and symptoms
1. Unconscious victims with little or no
trauma
2. Multiple victims with the same or
similar complaints
3. Victims with seizures
4. Victims with difficulty breathing
5. Victims with blistering, skin redness,
discoloration or irritation
iv. Make appropriate notifications
1. Dispatch center
2. Law enforcement
3. Department of environmental protec-
tion
4. Local public health department
5. CMED
v. Ensure coordination of communications
and identify needs
vi. Ensure personnel accountability
anything unusual?
iv. Identify potential type of event
1. Armed assault
2. Explosive, incendiary
3. Chemical
4. Biological
5. Radiological
v. Determine life safety threats
1. To self, responders
2. To victims
3. To general public
i. Weather—current and forecast
j.
Identify needed resources
k.
Implement EMS sector under
ICS/unified
command
V. Tactical considerations
a. Keep yourself alive
b. Commit only essential personnel/ mini-
mize exposure
