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Decontamination for WMD: An Overview

Audience:  All response personnel, including:  emergency management, emergency medical services, fire service, government administration, hazardous materials, healthcare, law enforcement, public health, public safety, and public works.

Goals:  The overall goal of this training program is to inform course participants of decontamination issues when responding to incidents involving a Weapon of Mass Destruction (WMD).

Description:  This course is designed as a basic introduction to decontamination for WMDs and is structured to be presented as either an eight hour course of classroom instruction or as a 16 hour course with both classroom instruction and hands-on practical exercises.

Length:  Either a one day, eight (8) hours (Day One) OR two day, 16 hours (Day One and Day Two).  Students can either register for Day One OR Day One and Day Two.  They may not register for Day Two without also registering for Day One.

Overview of Topics for Day One:

• Typical WMD (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive—CBRNE) categories, types, and potential for contamination
• Types and uses of various monitoring and detection devices
• Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), its limitations, and hazards
• Decontamination terminology
• Descriptions of common methods for decontamination
• Decontamination area layouts for various scenarios
• Proper decontamination practices for common WMD agents

Overview of Topics for Day Two:

• Specific decontamination methods, including:
• Adsorption and Absorption
• Degradation and Disinfection
• Dilution, Disposal, Neutralization, and Solidification
• Evaporation, Washing, and Vacuuming

Day Two emphasizes hands-on practical exercises for responding to a WMD event in the field that requires decontamination.