A multi-agency training at Adena Fayette Medical Center (AFMC) Tuesday evening was successful, according to authorities. Members of Wayne Township Fire, Washington Fire, and Concord Green Fire braved the heat to better understand how the equipment is set up for decontaminating patients from hazardous chemical exposure.
Chris Wysong, fire chief in Wayne Township, described the equipment used for this event.
“When operated by Fayette County, the hospital had a shed with decontamination equipment to use if patients arrived contaminated by hazardous materials,” he said. “The shed and equipment were updated before the hospital was operated by Adena. The equipment includes two shower tents, one large and one small, that can be blown up and allow for thorough cleaning of patients. The upgrades to equipment included protective suits and filtered masks for the emergency personnel, as well as bags and gowns to collect personal items on a patient and clothe them after completing DECON. Fayette Hospital worked with members of Wayne Township to build a new larger shed that stored the equipment in an organized manner, allowing efficiency to the operation.”
According to Wysong, a total of 30 personnel attended, from Washington Fire, Wayne Township Fire, Concord-Green Fire, and Fayette County EMA.
Wysong said this training is meant to be an annual affair.
“We have made it a point to train on the hospital equipment annually to continue familiarizing our members and improving the process,” he said. “When Adena took over the hospital, we worked with their emergency operations and legal team on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to continue to provide assistance and training to this operation. In return, Adena has agreed to provide our Hazardous Material Technicians with their annual physicals free of charge.”
So, when would the use of this equipment be beneficial?
Wysong replied, “The design of this equipment and training is for when there is a hazardous material emergency and patients are transported to the hospital for medical treatment. Before entering the hospital building it is crucial to have the patient cleaned from any exposure to hazardous materials and prevent cross contamination to other people and equipment inside the hospital.”
