Trauma Week 2023: Day 1
Before we start, please enjoy this picture of a Mobile Fire Rescue (MFR) person dressed in protective gear who looks like an "Among Us" character.
To start trauma week, we had an explosion at an outdoor concert. There were five victims and another critical one (Garrett's girlfriend played by a mannequin) that were contaminated by the explosion. Paramedics, Hazmat, and Mobile Fire Rescue came and started their decontamination process. To understand the contamination process, we must know what contamination is. Contamination is any form of hazardous material that physically remains on people, animals, and objects. You can be exposed to dangerous chemicals through direct contact (skin absorption), inhalation, ingestion, and injection. There are different types of contaminants. Surface contaminants are found on the surface and only on the outside, while permeation contaminants are absorbed into material/skin at a molecular level. The most common cause of contamination is poor DECON and cleanup operations. That's why we need to do a good job decontaminating so no one is harmed. Decontamination is important because it prevents injuries/conditions from happening, such as serious burns, head injuries, skin cancer, and skin inflammation. The biggest challenge with it is the management and control of people. Paramedics prioritize and organize traumatic event victims into multiple processes. Emergency DECON is a fast private physical process without a DECON corridor. The MFR team used this type when they were decontaminating the HazMat personnel after they investigated the explosion scene for dangers, such as explosives and chemicals. They used brushes to scrub the HazMat person who was standing in a kiddy pool with soap and water. The kiddy pool was to make sure no hazardous chemicals ran off into the surrounding area. Technical DECON is a planned and systematic multi-step process to decontaminate someone to a low level of contamination. This is where they use a DECON corridor to disinfect the patient. Mass DECON is when a large number of people need to be sanitized, so remove their clothes and are flushed with water. The MFR also used this technique. The able-bodied victims walked through a spray of soap and water between the two fire trucks and had their clothes removed, while their critical counterpart was put in an ambulance, had their clothes cut off, and covered with cloth to keep them sterile. Afterward, we went inside the auditorium, and the captain of the Mobile Fire Rescue team, Paul Phillips, explained the rest of the Mass DECON process and reasons why they use certain equipment. We got to see inside firetrucks and learn about the equipment they use in the Hazardous Materials Unit. Protective clothing helps the HazMat people protect themselves while dealing with chemicals and explosives. The weather trackers help them to decide which neutralizers would work for the climate and situation, especially in cold weather operations. They also have many books and devices so they can figure out what types of chemicals they are dealing with. It was the first time I got to go inside a firetruck and see the equipment, minus the time I went to the fire station when I was five years old and got to ride the slide, sit in the front seat of the truck, and honk the horn. Today was a fun, educational experience where I learned the strength of water and how it can protect you from chemicals.
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