This week’s Thursday Night Training was a Haz-Mat decon drill at the York Hospital Emergency Room. The York Fire Department has a Decon Trailer that contains a wide assortment of equipment, including a decon tent, portable shower, Level B suits, etc. Each year the York Fire Department conducts this drill to be sure we are prepared for a real event. The process includes securing a hot zone, warm zone and cold zone at the entrance to the Emergency Room. The tent is set up in the ambulance bay, where contaminated victims from any haz-mat situation that could happen are decontaminated before being walked into the Emergency Room. If a contaminated patient walks into the Emergency Room, the entire ER has to be shut down. This Decon process prevents that from happening.
