Ask yourself, “What’s the difference between responding to a ‘typical’ hazardous materials event and a potential scenario involving a weapon of mass destruction?” To many in the business, there is no difference and EMS systems should plan for one just as the do the other.

 

For last several years, grant funding and emergency response planning efforts have focused on the intentional release or purpose-driven attack using chemical and biological weapons. It has driven the thought process in a direction of planning for the worst case scenario while potentially overshadowing the most-likely scenario. The role EMS systems play in an accidental release of a hazardous materials event or an intentional act against their community has continued to evolve over time, causing each to evaluate their capabilities in the areas of response and mitigation of the same. In doing so, several standards and regulations must be researched and analyzed to ensure proper training and education of affected staff is in place.

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