Re: FW: HAZMAT MCI DRILL CRITIQUE

[Guest guest]

Les - Good evaluation. That was your job. Next time we put on an exercise

We may invite you to evaluate ours. Constructive comments (critique) is

what is needed to improve (even the best of the best). I would be willing

to bet the exercise will be better next year because of PROPER evaluations.

THATS WHY ALL OF US GET BETTER EVERY TIME WE DO THESE EXERCISES.

Good Job!!!!! TO ALL THAT PARTICIPATED.

----------

From: Les [sMTP:lpowell@...]

Sent: Saturday, September 19, 1998 10:35 AM

To: Texas Trauma Mailing List; EMS Mailing List

Subject: [] Re: HAZMAT MCI DRILL CRITIQUE

The intent of this message was not to slam or insult any group, that was

the primary reason for not giving location of the drill or agencies

involved. The intent was to get input from other professionals on how

the situation could be handled better in the future. This was a

training exercise, a learning experience, to identify things that could

be improved upon. If any person or group took offense to this post, I

would like to extend my sincere apology. I understand the purpose of

the evaluation is to be constructive, not critical. I was looking at

the situation with tunnel vision, my only concern was medical, and I

understand there were other factors that I was not and did not look at.

Again being critical was not the intent of my post.

Again, I was using this resource to enhance future responses, not as a

tool to put down, insult or criticize any person or group. Again if

this was how any person or group interpreted my post, I sincerely

apology.

Les

Les wrote:

> Last night I participated as an Evaluator in a HAZMAT MCI Drill

> involving several Industrial ERT's(Emergency Response Teams),

> Municipal and Volunteer Fire Departments, EMS Services, TX DPS, and

> several other law enforcement agencies.

>

> I would like to get input from you on recommendations / comments for

> my critique. Evaluation of medical care was my primary role with my

> focus situation on the east side of the railroad tracks

>

> Scene: Two vehicles (SUV & car - 3 patients each) vs. Train Tank car

> containing Sulfuryl Chloride with a valve leaking. (Second related

> incident on the west side of the tracks was Tractor tanker containing

> a hazardous substance ?? vs. chemical pipeline containing Ethylene

> which is now leaking.)

>

> Response: The first unit to arrive at the situation I am evaluating is

> an Engine Company from a municipal fire department, they approach from

> the east (wind is from the South-Souteast). They all but ignore the

> vehicles and start putting water on the tank car. It was six minutes

> before patient contact was ever made, after walking by the cars and

> looking in them several times. (It gets better!)

> After a short discussion with other crew members, two minor injuries

> (walking wounded) were walked to a warm zone to await decon, and

> assistance was requested from another department to assist with

> evacuation of the injured.

> The other four patients were moved to a warm zone to await decon, this

> included three critical patients. While the fire fighters were

> walking around the patients and talking, they took off their bunker

> coats at which time I noticed one with a red patch and two with blue

> patch on their uniforms, to me they looked like TDH EMT-P & EMT-B

> patches, maybe I was wrong. Keep in mind there still has not been any

> evaluation / triage or treatment of the patients, they are just laying

> on the side of the road.

> One hour and thirty-four minutes into the incident one minor and one

> critical patient was taken to a decon area, two critical patients were

> left on the side of the road, along with two minor injuries. The

> minor injury was sprayed off with a redline from on engine on the

> scene and was walked over to a LSB and immobilized and turned over to

> EMS one hour and thirty-eight minutes into the incident.

> The first critical (who is now unconscious / unresponsive - driver of

> the car with obvious head and abdominal injuries) was place in the

> decon area, sprayed down, then rolled over (NO C-Spine Control) face

> down in the water, then carried to a LSB and moved to EMS unsecured.

> This patient was turned over to EMS one hour and fortifier minutes

> into the incident. At this point they did put oxygen on the other two

> critical patients.

> Well by this time you get my point!

> Once the patients were turned over to EMS, they did an excellent job

> of triage, evaluation, treatment and transport of the patients. The

> first EMS unit was enroute to the hospital in less than ten minutes

> after receiving the first patient, this included full spinal

> immobilization.

>

> Three things I would like from you:

> 1.) How would you recommend speeding up the process of getting the

> patients to EMS.

> 2.) Would you not wait for a decon area to be set up for the critical

> patients, rinse the off real good with the redline, strip off all

> clothing which may be contaminated and get them transported ASAP.

> 3.) Of course any other comments / input which would enhance future

> responses (which may be the real thing!)

>

> Thanks for you reply and input.

>

> Les

>

The intent of this message was not to slam or

insult any group, that was the primary reason for not giving location of

the drill or agencies involved. The intent was to get input from

other professionals on how the situation could be handled better in the

future. This was a training exercise, a learning experience, to identify

things that could be improved upon.

If any person or group took offense to this

post, I would like to extend my sincere apology. I understand the

purpose of the evaluation is to be constructive, not critical. I

was looking at the situation with tunnel vision, my only concern was medical,

and I understand there were other factors that I was not and did not look

at. Again being critical was not the intent of my post.

Again, I was using this resource to enhance

future responses, not as a tool to put down, insult or criticize any person

or group. Again if this was how any person or group interpreted my

post, I sincerely apology.

Les

Les wrote:

Last night I participated as an Evaluator in

a HAZMAT MCI Drill involving several Industrial

ERT's(Emergency Response Teams), Municipal and Volunteer Fire Departments,

EMS Services, TX DPS, and several other law enforcement agencies.

I would like to get input from you on recommendations / comments

for my critique. Evaluation of medical care was my primary role with my

focus situation on the east side of the railroad tracks

Scene: Two vehicles

(SUV & car - 3 patients each) vs. Train Tank car containing Sulfuryl

Chloride with a valve leaking. (Second related incident on the west

side of the tracks was Tractor tanker containing a hazardous substance

?? vs. chemical pipeline containing Ethylene which is now leaking.)

Response: The

first unit to arrive at the situation I am evaluating is an Engine Company

from a municipal fire department, they approach from the east (wind is

from the South-Souteast). They all but ignore the vehicles and start

putting water on the tank car. It was six minutes before patient

contact was ever made, after walking by the cars and looking in them several

times. (It gets better!)

After a short discussion with other crew members,

two minor injuries (walking wounded) were walked to a warm zone to await

decon, and assistance was requested from another department to assist with

evacuation of the injured.

The other four patients were moved to a warm

zone to await decon, this included three critical patients. While

the fire fighters were walking around the patients and talking, they took

off their bunker coats at which time I noticed one with a red

patch and two with

blue patch on their uniforms, to me they looked

like TDH EMT-P

& EMT-B patches,

maybe I was wrong. Keep in mind there still has not been any evaluation

/ triage or treatment of the patients, they are just laying on the side

of the road.

One hour and thirty-four minutes into

the incident one minor and one critical patient was taken to a decon area,

two critical patients were left on the side of the road, along with two

minor injuries. The minor injury was sprayed off with a redline from

on engine on the scene and was walked over to a LSB and immobilized and

turned over to EMS one hour and thirty-eight minutes into the incident.

The first critical (who is now unconscious /

unresponsive - driver of the car with obvious head and abdominal injuries)

was place in the decon area, sprayed down, then rolled over (NO C-Spine

Control) face down in the water, then carried to a LSB and moved to EMS

unsecured. This patient was turned over to EMS one hour and fortifier

minutes into the incident. At this point they did put oxygen

on the other two critical patients.

Well by this time you get my point!

Once the patients were turned over to EMS,

they did an excellent job of triage, evaluation, treatment and transport

of the patients. The first EMS unit was enroute to the hospital in less

than ten minutes after receiving the first patient, this included full

spinal immobilization.

Three things I would like from you:

1.) How would you recommend speeding up the

process of getting the patients to EMS.

2.) Would you not wait for a decon area to

be set up for the critical patients, rinse the off real good with the redline,

strip off all clothing which may be contaminated and get them transported

ASAP.

3.) Of course any other comments / input which

would enhance future responses (which may be the real thing!)

Thanks for you reply and input.

Les