By Olivia Drake
(November 5, 2024) — During an October training night, members of the Haddam Volunteer Fire Company participated in a HAZMAT refresher. The drill, taught by Captain Josh Meyer, focused on decontaminating responders after they have entered the “hot zone,” or the area where hazardous materials are present.
To ensure the safety of responders and potentially persons found inside a hot zone, firefighters practiced how to “clean” a contaminated person using various techniques including emergency, wet and dry technical decontamination and non-ambulatory decontamination on simulated responders who were wearing Level A protective suits.
These suits offer the highest level of protection against HAZMAT, but severely limit both vision and dexterity. HVFC also maintains a stock of Level B suits which are not as protective against some materials, but offer significant benefits in dexterity and operating time.
After practicing HAZMAT decontamination, Captain Meyer trained firefighters in how to use field decontamination kits to clean bunker gear at a fire scene. This process can reduce the amount of exposure to the carcinogens generated by modern fires.
“This is an important step toward protecting the health and safety of not only our volunteer firefighters but the families they go home to after each emergency,” Meyer explained.
Photo by Olivia Drake
