EMS Response to Chemical Weapon Incidents

About the Course 

This course prepares students to identify patients that have been exposed to or contaminated with a chemical warfare agent (CWA), pharmaceutical-based agent (PBA) or select toxic industrial chemicals (TIC) using toxidromes and other tools, and to determine and execute the most appropriate course of casualty management including treatment and rapid decontamination techniques. This will be achieved with a combination of lecture training and breakout sessions.

What this course is: prehospital management of a casualty exposed to a chemical weapon, and basic DECON operations that can be conducted by EMS.

What this course is NOT: comprehensive CBRN / HAZMAT response training. Students should already have a basic understanding of principles of HAZMAT response and does not certify or authorize students to provide operations or care beyond their current SOPs/SOGs.

Prerequisites: A working knowledge of principles of HAZMAT and/or CBRN response.

About the Instructor: Kevin McAvenia

Kevin has been involved in the fire and EMS service since 2003 when he first became an explorer at a volunteer fire department. Since then, he has worked as a medical provider in urban, suburban, and rural EMS systems, as well as a firefighter, paramedic, technical rescue specialist, and hazardous materials technician in various capacities world-wide. He has supported Federal operations as a contractor throughout the world. He holds numerous advanced certifications and specialized training through a variety of Federal agencies, credentialed DHS instructor, and chairs the CBRN subcommittee of the Committee on Tactical Emergency Casualty Care.