During shipment, supplies are protected by placement inside MILVANs, in covered enclosed vehicles, or by wrapping them in several layers of plastic, in tarpaulins, or in other protective material. To monitor exposure of supplies to chemical agents during shipment, place M9 detector paper between the wrappings. If exposure is limited to the outer layer, simple removal of this layer may be all that is required to eliminate the contamination. Decontamination is much easier when the supplies and equipment have been protected by multilayers of over-wraps.
5-27. Organizational Maintenance
Maintenance on vehicles, equipment, and medical equipment will become much more complex under NBC conditions. Most chemical agents are soluble in organic solvents such as gasoline, motor oils, and lubricants. The agent may be removed from the equipment by these solvents, but exposure to the contaminated solvents will produce the same effects as exposure to the agent on the equipment. The agents may seep down around the threads of bolts, in cracks and crevices of the equipment, and inside the cabinets or enclosures of equipment. These potential contamination sources produce an increased hazard to maintenance personnel. Decontamination of some items, especially medical equipment, may be a problem for maintenance personnel. The use of standard decontamination agents will cause damage beyond repair to most medical equipment and electronic equipment. In some instances, removal of chemical agents will require aging (off-gassing) of the agent. Turning the equipment on and running it, or just exposing the equipment to warm air will speed the off-gassing process. Maintenance personnel must perform all procedures in MOPP Level 4 until decontamination is completed. Radiation will penetrate the metal structures of vehicles and other equipment; radioactive material will be absorbed into the lubricants and fuels. Decontamination of this type of contamination is very difficult, if not impossible. Personnel must use radiation detection equipment to determine the extent of contamination and decontaminate the items as much as possible. Dusting or washing with water can remove any fallout on the surface of vehicles and nonelectrical/electronic components of equipment. Removal of radioactivity absorbed into metals or mixed in lubricants and fuels is beyond the capabilities of unit personnel. See FM 3-5 for decontamination procedures.
Section VII. HOMELAND SECURITY RESPONSE
5-28. Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and High-Yield Explosive Response
Although, homeland security is not a specific military mission, commanders must plan for and be prepared to support a lead federal agency (such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation or Federal Emergency Management Agency) in response to CBRNE event. When the CBRNE event occurs on a military installation, the Weapons of Mass Destruction—Incident Support Team (WMD-IST) is the lead federal agency in charge of responding and establishes an incident command center (ICC). The installation medical authority (IMA) provides the HSS initial response to the event site. Request for assistance from deployable HSS organizations and staffs are initiated by the IMA through military channels. The incident commander will submit a request for HSS assistance to a CBRNE event off the military installation through the appropriate federal channels. The President will direct any DOD response in support of a lead federal agency to a CBRNE event. The Presidential direction to assist will be passed down through military channels to the appropriate HSS organization for response. The HSS response may be in the form of special medical augmentation teams (SMART) support from US Army Medical Command resources or HSS (table of organization and equipment [TOE]) units may be directed to respond. Normally, responding TOE units will provide HSS to nonmedical military responders. However, the HSS mission may be to provide support to the lead federal agency or civilian public health organizations, emergency medical services (ambulance crews), or hospitals. The HSS response will include, but not be limited to—
- Providing medical care to casualties at the incident casualty decontamination site and supervising the casualty decontamination process to ensure that no further injury is caused to the casualty.
- Providing en route care for casualties from the incident site to an MTF or designated location for further care. Normally, TOE MEDEVAC assets are not used, but HSS personnel provide the en route care on locally provided transport vehicles.
- Providing guidance to local responders in the management of CBRNE casualties. The guidance may be on the correct use of antidotes, chemoprophylaxis, prevention of contamination spread in the MTF, patient decontamination at the MTF, and other related medical management procedures.
- Identifying suspect chemical, biological, or radiological materials used in the event.
- Providing guidance on application of standard precautions for CBRNE, especially preventive measures to prevent spread of contagious agents.
- Managing, triaging, and treating mass casualties.
5-29. Capabilities of Response Elements
For detailed Information on capabilities of SMARTs see FM 4-02 and FM 8-42. For detailed information on capabilities and functions of TOE HSS units see FM 4-02- and 8-series publications.