Personal Protection and Public Protection in Chemical Weapons Attacks

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(No Transcript)
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Personal Protection and Public Protection in
Chemical Weapons Attacks
Toni Leikas Environics
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Agenda
Why Chemical Weapons?
Countermeasures against CWA Attack
Personal Protection of the Authorities
Chemical Agent Response is 3-Step process
Public Protection
Summary
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Why Chemical Weapons?

• The high numbers of potential casualties and
  effect to the mass behaviour.
• Chemical weapons can effect peoples, plants,
  animals, buildings, roads and terrain to prevent
  these areas free access.
• Chemical weapons forcing the authorities to wear
  highly restrictive protective equipment and
  forcing the public to fear possible new attacks.
• Chemical weapons can enter the body through the
  skin, eyes, ingestion and respiratory tracts by
  killing, seriously injuring or incapacitating
  unprotected personnel.

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Countermeasures against CWA attack The Critical
First Ten Minutes!

• The first ten (10) minutes of the action are
  crucial to manage the hazard in successfully.
• Estimation and assessment based on all the
  information from the incident scene.
• The first estimation of the incident must be made
• CBRNE hazard or specifically Chemical weapons
  attack?
• Accident or criminal act against the public and
  society?
• Threat assessment
• No threat or low threat level
• Medium threat level
• High or very high threat level

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Personal Protection of the Authorities

• Four level of physical Protection Levels A, B, C
  and D. The levels determined by the skin and
  respiratory protection provided by the selected
  chemical protective ensemble.
• The PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) places an
  increased level of mental and physiological
  stress on operators.
• Always suspect an airborne hazard is present and
  approach the scene from the upwind.
• The protection level need constantly control and
  revalue, because wounded operator cause extra
  burden for the rescue staff.

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Personal Protection Levels

• Level A
• The greatest level of skin and respiratory
  protection is required.
• Totally encapsulating suit with gloves and boots
  attached with SCBA (self-contained breathing
  apparatus).
• Level B
• The highest level of respiratory protection is
  required, but lesser level of skin and eye
  protection is required.
• Non-encapsulating, chemical resistant suit with
  SCBA
• Minimum level recommended for initial entry until
  hazard has been identified
• Level C
• The airborne substance is known and is beginning
  monitored.
• Full face respirator with proper filter and
  chemical agent resistant suit.
• Level D
• Not provide any respiratory or skin protection.
• Tyvek-style light suit, protection glass,
  breathing mask, gloves and shoe covers.

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Why Is Gas Detection Important?

• Responders cannot rely on their senses for
  decision making. Detection technologies
  supplement our senses when those fail us.
  Detectors become our eyes and ears.
• Risk Based Response to response at the lowest
  level necessaty to prevent undue risk to
  responder while protecting public.
• Over responding protection causes panic to public
  and unnecessary worry.
• Proper used detection allows responders to
  response at lower levels of PPE to provide the
  highest levels to themselves and to the public.

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Chemical Agent Response is a 3-Step Process

• 1) Locate the possible release and reason for the
  incident. Use common sense, survey tools and
  clues. Location shoud take seconds to minutes.
• 2) Classified the located chemical agent. Gets
  general idea of the kind of threat using common
  sense, classification technologies and clues.
  Classification should takes seconds to minutes.
• 3) Identification of the chemical is important
  for further action, like medical. Identification
  response time can range from 60 seconds to more
  than 15 minutes.
• The detectors are smart as the user!
• Today detectors need to be also detect CWA and
  TICs simultaneously and need to have multiple
  use.

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Public Protection
Public Protection

• In the chemical hazard the most important task is
  to prevent public access to contaminated area and
  rescue those who already are there.
• Incident commander (IC) defines hazard area,
  protection area and protection level and isolate
  the hazard area.
• The rough hazard area estimation is better to be
  too large. It is easy to reduce by the situation.
• Chemical classification as soon as possible can
  decrease the hazard and isolation area.

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Public Protection Hazard Area Prediction

• Hazard estimations and predictions are only
  calculation and estimation by good guess.
• One example of discrepancy between the prediction
  and reality
• Plume can get channeled by streets near the
  source and end up traveling of the prevailing
  wind direction.
• Determined evacuation zones the plume initially
  may be transported in direction of-angle from
  prevailing wind.
• Once plume dispersal above buildings it travel
  with prevailing wind, BUT its central axis will
  be offset from release point.
• There are solutions to detect real threat and
  determine in real-time hazard area. Mobile
  monitoring systems for chemical incidents.

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Public Protection Hazard Management

• Several multi-use monitoring units with wireless
  connection will be set up around the incident
  area and predicted hazard estimation.
• With hazard management software incident
  commander see the real-time actual contaminated
  area.
• Mobile systems are tools to for incident
  commander to make right rescue measures in high
  stress situation to save lives and rescue staff
  manpower for the rescue tasks.
• The hazard and situation assessment is a
  continuous
• What, when, why, where, how etc
• Logistics, medic, decontamination , press,
  cordon, isolation, public, specialist, resources

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Summary

• The use of chemical weapons against the citizen
  is always nationwide emergency. Co-operating is
  the key to the successful.
• Detect Locate Classified Identified.
• Protection level needs to define in every time by
  the incident. Remember that over responding can
  be dangerous to public by causing panic.
• The public protection measures are carried out
  before the actual chemical attacks.
• Professional and proper equipped units create
  credible defense against chemical weapons attack.
  

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Thank you

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