HazMat paramedics

[NomadicMedic]

Is anyone here involved with HazMat as an ALS provider as part of your primary job responsibilities?

I recently became part of my county’s HazMat team, recruited to help develop new programs. I’ve had AHLS for 5 or 6 years now and I’ll be attending the NFA “ALS for HazMat Incidents” course. I’ve had the opportunity to treat a few hazmat patients over the last few years, but nothing outrageous aside from cyano-kits for structure fires and atropine for organophosphate poisoning.

There is currently no protocol for HazMedics in my areas and the county team is looking to add ALS response by a duty medic to the work statement and we are developing a special operations unit to be licensed to allow for a county wide response by an ALS HazMedic to confirmed hazmat incidents.

I’d really just like to hear about your agencies HazMat operational guidelines and experience.

 

[DrParasite]

in my county, EMS are trained in decon and can support the hazmat team. I think we have USAR and HazMat medics, but they are for special operations (used maybe once a year). Their primary job is to be on the ambulance, but if a deployment happens...

FEMA has some decent EMS related hazmat training (which I highly recommend, it's well worth the trip, esp if you have no prior HM training):

Emergency Medical Operations for CBRNE Incidents - Center for Domestic Preparedness

Provides information about a specific training course offered at the Center for Domestic Preparedness.

cdp.dhs.gov

They also offer HazMat Ops https://cdp.dhs.gov/training/course/PER-322 and HazMat Tech classes https://cdp.dhs.gov/training/course/PER-272

TEEX also ran a grant funded HazMat Course where they came to you at https://teex.org/class/PER212/ that you can host at your agency.

There is currently no protocol for HazMedics in my areas and the county team is looking to add ALS response by a duty medic to the work statement and we are developing a special operations unit to be licensed to allow for a county wide response by an ALS HazMedic to confirmed hazmat incidents.

What protocols are you looking for? Are these protocols to treat people at a hazmat incident, or treat patients prior to decontamination?

FDNY has their HazTach protocols online: https://www.nycremsco.org/wp-conten...-REMAC-Advisory-Revised-Haz-Tac-Protocols.pdf

is your hazmat call volume high enough to warrant a full time ALS ambulance dedicated just to hazmat incidents? I believe FDNY rescue medics and haztac medics are in the system as regular 911 trucks, who can do more if they are available and dispatched to hazmat calls.

Pittsburgh EMS is one of the components of the City of Pittsburgh Hazardous Materials (HazMat) Response Team, and their EMS Rescue personnel are all HazMat Techs

Hazardous Materials

pittsburghpa.gov

 

[PotatoMedic]

The agency I have has a hazmed team. But I don't think they have even done any training in the three years I've worked here. I'll ask around to see what they can do and what they are here for.

 

[NomadicMedic]

The agency I have has a hazmed team. But I don't think they have even done any training in the three years I've worked here. I'll ask around to see what they can do and what they are here for.

I appreciate that.

 

[Emily Starton]

The agency I have has a hazmed team. But I don't think they have even done any training in the three years I've worked here. I'll ask around to see what they can do and what they are here for.

Same here in our city. All in hazmat.