Kunsan's Med Group perfects decon procedures

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Rasheen Douglas
  • 8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  The scenario that took place Oct. 6 outside Kunsan's 8th Medical Group could be perceived as a scene straight from a horror film. Medics were seen running around in green plastic suits tending to contaminated patients.

Luckily the setting was an exercise. The exercise was based on a chemical exposure with patients arriving at the clinic for decontamination and treatment.

"This training is important for our In-Place Decontamination Team so they may be prepared to decontaminate patients and operate the shelter system to save lives and limbs," said Capt. Justin Gray, 8th MDG physical therapy chief. "We must be able to prepare for the unexpected and protect the medical facility."

This training was designed to prepare the decontamination team for an unexpected terrorist threat or peacetime exposure to hazardous chemicals.

The decontamination team learned every aspect of nuclear, biological, chemical agents and decontamination methods. They learned how to organize the response equipment in a timely manner. Many procedures, including the appropriate administration of atropine, an antidote to nerve-agent poisoning, was also covered.

Afterward, the team took what knowledge they learned and used it in practical exercises. These exercises consisted of assembling the shelter, the containment system for waste-water run-off and the hydrant system, and practicing processing patients using a dummy and Airmen volunteers.

This training happens once a quarter to make sure the decontamination team refreshes their skills on responding to an incident safely and in a timely manner.

"We now have the expertise to perform a comprehensive inventory and function check of this equipment," Gray said. "So if any incident would transpire, we will know how to respond efficiently."

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