NHCPR DECON Team Trains in First Reciever Operations

Photo By Adam Skoczylas | PATUXENT RIVER, Maryland - Naval Health Patuxent Rivers' Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Decontamination (DECON) Team stabilizes a mock casualty during the BUMED First Receiver Operations Training (FROT) Oct. 12, 2017.  

PATUXENT RIVER, MARYLAND, UNITED STATES

10.12.2017

Story by Marcus Henry 

Naval Health Clinic Patuxent River, Maryland

PATUXENT RIVER, Maryland (NAS) – Twenty-three Sailors from Naval Health Clinic Patuxent Rivers' Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Decontamination Team completed the Navy Bureau of Medicine (BUMED) First Receiver Operations Training (FROT) Oct. 12, 2017.

The two-and-a-half-day course is designed to educate U.S. Navy Medical First Receivers on life-saving skills required to triage, initiate field treatment, decontaminate and save victims from CBRN, or Hazardous Materials.

The training involved a day of classroom instruction with the remainder of time devoted to gear inventory, utility checks, equipment set-up, and a hands-on, timed teamwork drill.

During the classroom portion of the training, participants received an introduction to different types of materials, symptoms associated with various hazardous materials and familiarized themselves with equipment used during training.

For the practical application segment, Charlie Jansen, DECON instructor with DECON, LLC, headquartered in Biloxi, MS, demonstrates setting up and tearing down a three-lane DECON shelter, setup and operation of a water heater and the order of processing different types of patients.

Once a decontamination team receives notification of an incident, they are supposed to be ‘mission capable’ in 15 minutes or less, meaning the decontamination shelter is set up, the water heater is running appropriately, and four people are properly protected in Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), ready to start processing patients. ‘Set-up complete’ is expected in 20 minutes or less, meaning all team members are appropriately suited in PPE, all supplies are in their proper places, and the team is fully functional.

"It's important training, and that's what we're about," said Commanding Officer Capt. James C. Young while addressing the participants before their final exercise. "We train to be ready when bad things happen."

Conducting this training helps refresh sailors on their tactical skill sets specific to CBRN response, maintain situational readiness and ensures the safety of personnel.

"FROT is yet another area where we're focusing on providing the best care for the community," said Patrick Paulsen, the hospital's emergency manager. "We are ensuring our ability to serve the community when there is an incident."

For more news from Naval Health Patuxent River, visit www.navy.mil/local/nhcpr/

• Date Taken: 10.12.2017
• Date Posted: 10.23.2017 11:55
• Story ID: 252663
• Location: PATUXENT RIVER, MARYLAND, US