EMS Policy Manual - Contra Costa Health Services

Contra Costa
Emergency Medical Services
POLICY #: 36
PAGE: 2 of 2
Individuals who have not been trained to respond, contain, identify, decontaminate and evacuate
victims of hazardous materials events, within the contamination area, should not enter the Hot or
Warm Zone.
Other rescuers should be trained in accordance with Federal and State OSHA standards to handle
hazardous materials incidents and include fire, law enforcement, or other local agencies.
Prehospital providers shall have processes identified for appropriate EMS Event Reporting and
subsequent review of patient and provider safety issues regarding hazardous materials incidents.
V. EMS HAZMAT INCIDENT ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 1
A. Scene Command: First Response agencies arriving on scene shall:
Implement Incident Command System
Establish Incident Command Post
Isolate and Deny Entry
Assess Incident and request necessary resources
Notify response agencies
Provide medical attention
Rescue victims – If rescue can be done safely
Contain/Control Release by trained personnel 2 – If actions can be done safely
Initiate early notification to the hospital(s) receiving victims of a hazardous materials incident
B. Fire-Medical Dispatch: The fire-medical dispatch agency shall communicate to responding
units/crews:
That the call involves suspected or known hazardous substance as an alert.
Information regarding type of substance, wind direction, staging area (if established), command
post, designated entry and egress paths or other pertinent patient information should be
obtained and relayed to responders as soon as possible.
Responding crews will acknowledge information provided by dispatch.
Responding crews will alert dispatch to hazardous materials exposures promptly.
C. Hospital: All hospitals receiving victims from hazardous materials incidents should:
Prepare a designated staging area for appropriate patient handoff and additional
decontamination if required.
Contact CCHS Hazardous Materials through Sheriff’s Dispatch if further information is
required to determine the need for primary or secondary decontamination.
Have policies, procedures and trained personnel available to decontaminate exposed
prehospital personnel and/or patients from the field.
1
See EMS personnel recognition of Hazardous Materials Exposure Decision Tree.
2
The responsibility for hazardous materials containment, identification, and decontamination, and victim evacuation at the scene of
incident shall rest with the designated hazardous materials response agencies.