NCJ Number
189894
Date Published
August 1999
Length
65 pages
Annotation
This report provides potential Incident Commanders (ICs) with practical displays of Firefighter Protective Ensemble (FFPE) test results for application to first responder operations and training.
Abstract
After a terrorist event chemical agent vapor could affect first responders through three potential exposure routes -- skin contact (percutaneous), inhalation, or ocular effects. This report addresses vapor hazards through all three exposure routes. Man In Simulant Testing (MIST) of both new and used firefighter turnout gear was conducted. The research team included firefighters representing five Maryland counties, one Ohio county, one California county, and Washington, D.C. Representatives from this research team consulted with a cross-section of additional firefighters at all ranks through face-to-face interviews, a questionnaire survey, and in meetings. This testing examined how well turnout gear with Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) protected the firefighter against vapor absorption of the skin. Firefighters were exposed, while wearing turnout gear with SCBA, to a chemical agent simulant (methyl salicylate) to measure the Physiological Protective Dosage Factor (PPDF). An assessment was conducted using the measured PPDFs to determine quick rescue times for known living victims. Results showed that standard turnout gear with SCBA provided a first responder with sufficient protection from nerve agent vapor hazards inside interior or downwind areas of the hot zone to allow 30 minutes rescue time for known live victims. 2 tables and 4 appendices