Mass decon lessons learned from Indiana exercise
Held in May 2007, the week-long Ardent Sentry 2007 exercise was based on a scenario involving the no-notice detonation of a 10-kiloton nuclear device near Lawrence, Ind., just northeast of Indianapolis. The current issue of Army Chemical Review includes an article on the exercise (PDF available for download) that highlights some useful lessons about mass decontamination at a radiological incident:
- Evacuation zone
It is reasonable to assume that not all personnel within the evacuation zone were contaminated. Identifying those who were "clean" (notcontaminated) would greatly reduce the decontamination resources required and expended. In a no-notice event, such as that of AS07, the prescreening process is complicated by several factors.
- Multisite operations
Most likely, several decontamination sites will need to be established around the plume perimeter to effectively respond to the magnitude of need at a mass casualty incident. Many actual or potential victims may have self-evacuated, which creates problems such as locating and treating them, communicating with them, and dealing with any cross contamination that may have occurred asa result of their evacuation. Additionally, first responders, some of whom may be victims themselves or become victims through exposure, may arrive late and be uninformed due to degraded communications.
- Integration of decontamination operations with other plans
Decontamination operations must be integrated into the entire mitigation and recovery process. Successful decontamination operations include planning the initial medical triage; completing follow-on medical care; and providing subsequent transportation, food, clothing, and shelter for all prescreened individuals.
- Disposition of personal effects
The need to quickly and efficiently decontaminate a large number of people also creates the need to handle their personal effects. Jurisdictional decisions regarding the disposition of personal effects must be addressed during the planning stages. Decisions regarding the disposition of identification items such as licenses and credit cards must be consistent with local protocols. In addition, protocols for the screening and disposition of vehicles must also be in place.
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