What does CBRN event mean
?
Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear Weaponised (bombs, dirty bombs) Non-weaponised (dangerous goods or hazardous materials)
What are the 3 things used to classify chemical weapons?
- degree of effect
- effect on the body
- duration of the hazard
What type of agents are considered under the ‘Degree of effect’ category of chemical weapons?
Harassing agent
Incapacitating agent
Lethal agent
What type of agents are considered under the ‘Effect on the body’ category of chemical weapons?
- Nerve agent
- Respiratory agent
- Blister agent
What type of agents are considered under the ‘Duration of the hazard’ category of chemical weapons?
- Persistent agent
* Non persistent agent
What are the different types of nerve agents?
- Muscarinic
- Nicotinic
- Central nervous system
- Death due to respiratory paralysis
What are biological agents?
- Achieve intended effect by infecting victims.
- Disease-causing microorganisms / replicative entities:
- Eg Viruses, bacteria, fungi
- Ability to multiply in host over time.
- Disease may be caused by interaction between biological agent, the host and the environment
what are biological weapons characterised by?
- Infectivity
- Virulence
- Lethality
- Pathogenicity
- Incubation period
- Contagiousness
- Stability
What are the types of radiation found in radiological weapons?
- Alpha
- Beta
- Gamma
What are the types of exposure relating to radiological weapons?
- External
* Irradiation
What are the types of CBRN incidents?
Intentional incidents
Accidental incidents
What is an intentional CBRN incident?
Involve malicious use of chemical, biological or radiological material / agents to inflict death, injury and damage:
- Criminal acts eg deliberate dumping or release of hazardous materials.
- Malicious, non politically motivated poisoning of individual/s.
• Terrorist acts.
What is an accidental CBRN incident?
human error or natural or technological reasons:
- Spills, accidental releases or leakages.
- Outbreaks of infectious diseases.
What are the characteristics of a CBRN incident?
- Potential for mass casualties, loss of life or long term effects.
- Creation of extremely hazardous environment.
- Similar signs and symptoms.
- Initial ambiguity / delay in determining type of material involved.
- Potential use of combination of CBR materials.
- Narrow time frame for administration of life saving interventions.
- Need for immediately available medical treatment and specialised pharmaceuticals.
- Need for timely, efficient and effective mass decontamination systems.
What are the countermeasures for CBRN incidents?
Technical equipment
- Detection
- PPE
Medical Therapy
- Treatment
- Prophylaxis
Organisational Strategies
- Specially developed intelligence systems
- Standard operating procedures
- Training
International law
What are the control agencies in CBRN incidents?
- Chemical: Fire services.
- Biological: DHS.
- Radiological: DHS.
- Rescue and decontamination: Fire services.
- Initial control agency may be VicPol if explosion (presumed bomb) is involved.
What is the role of the ambulance in CBRN incidents?
- Provision of appropriate skills and equipment for CBR emergencies.
- Triage of casualties.
- Provision of most effective transportation means for casualties.
- Assistance with coordination of medical teams.
- Provision of support to other agencies.
- Assist with the decontamination of casualties (in specified zone, using
trained personnel in appropriate protective equipment, in consultation
with the Incident Controller).
What is the Hot Zone?
- Area of likely contamination.
- Area immediately around location of incident.
- Contaminants at levels that could pose immediate threat to life and health.
- Only trained personnel in appropriate PPE may enter.
What is the Warm zone?
- Surrounding hot zone.
- Contaminants still at levels that pose a risk to unprotected personnel.
- Only trained personnel in appropriate PPE may enter.
- Used to control inward and outward movement between hot zone and cold zone.
- Decontamination is established and undertaken.
What is the cold zone?
- Surrounds warm zone.
- Contains incident control.
- Triage and treatment facilities.
- Planning area.
- Staging and assembly areas.
- Free of contamination and PPE not required.
What are the indicators of CBRN/HAZMAT incident?
Unexplained casualties: • Multiple victims. • Serious illnesses. • Casualty patterns. • Nausea, disorientation, SOB, convulsions
Unusual liquid, spray or vapour:
• Droplets, oily film / residue.
• Unexplained odour.
• Low lying clouds / fog unrelated to weather.
Suspicious devices / packages.
Unusual dead or dying insects / animals
What is the specific management for CBRN incidents?
• Full CBR PPE required to rescue from contaminated
area.
- Triage.
- Remove casualty from ongoing exposure.
- BLS.
- Positioning.
- Airway management (BVM if time and resources available).
- Antidote administration.
- Decontamination.
- Ongoing management.
- Transport.
What are some of the challenges on scene regarding decontamination?
- Delay at scene establishing decontamination, triage and treatment areas
- Casualties may flee scene and self-present at hospital or be transported prior to decontamination occurring
• Casualties may require decontamination in the hospital setting prior
to treatment
- Additional risks to patients
- Hypothermia
- Airway compromise
- Anxiety due to loss of senses
What is included in PPE Level A?
• Fully encapsulated chemical
resistant, gas tight suit
• Breathing apparatus
• Provides maximum level of
respiratory and skin protection
