JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. –
The setup outside the 87th Medical Group Clinic looked like a scene from a disaster movie as medical personnel dressed in plastic suits worked to decontaminate patients while acting as a barrier between the infected and the clean May 30, 2013, here.
Medical group staff stood up a functional In-Place Patient Decontamination Unit as part of a large-scale training exercise to decontaminate personnel affected by a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or high-yield explosive weapons attack before they enter the clinic for further care.
"The training exercise consisted of 23 Airmen from various Air Force Specialty Codes," said Master Sgt. Michael Mathers, 87th MDG medical readiness noncommissioned officer in charge. "They are broken down into three teams; a manpower security team of four Airmen, a triage team of three Airmen and an IPPD team of 16 Airmen."
The purpose of the three-day IPPD training was to contain the possibility of contamination of the medical facility and personnel by infected individuals.
"The first day we conducted an inventory of the equipment, followed by a second day of classroom instructions and the third day with hands-on training exercise," said Mathers, a Parkerburg, W.Va., native.
The IPPD team is required to setup a water heater, a tent and a hazardous material containment bladder to respond to affected personnel in the event a CBRNE attack occurs.
"If a chemical agent is used, patients must be decontaminated before they are allowed to enter the hospital or medical facility," said Mathers.
The decontamination system consists of a tent shelter separated into three sections. The center section is a conveyor system for litter-bound patients and the two side sections are for the ambulatory patients.
The tent shelter's framing system has several safety improvements for IPPD use. The tent incorporates safety clips and a clipping system to the containment beam, so it will not collapse during operations. The shower heads are replaced with an all-in-one privacy curtain/shower system. Decontamination sprayers have a quick release fitting system. The litter patient conveyor system is lightweight and collapsible, utilizing technology much like the easy-to-fold lawn chairs.
"The decon team is made up a very diverse group of medical staff; medical technicians, dentists, biomedical repair technicians and a physician assistant," said Mathers.
Decontamination team personnel cut patients' clothes off, wash them with soapy, warm water, then rinse the patient and place him or her in blankets before they are carried in the clinic.
"Today's training was very good, we accomplished our mission capability in half the time required," said Staff Sgt. Leon Miller, physical therapist with the 87th MDG and decontamination team custodian and native of Tuscon, Ariz. "It was also very good because we had a lot of new members to the team and it is a good experience for them."
The training exercise proved to be a success, as all the necessary requirements from setting up the decontamination tent and the medical staff dressing up in the proper decontamination suits were meet within the 20-minute deadline.
"We did well and exceeded all the requirements," said 1st Lt. Janae Lunsford, 87th MDG physician's assistant IPPD team chief and a San Antonio native. "We were ready with the set-up and ready to take on the patients in 12 minutes and 40 seconds."