Service members serving aboard Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point completed a multi-day training program Thursday, October 14, sharpening their skills and capability to respond and augment base emergency services’ response to an incident involving hazardous material.

Sailors assigned to Naval Health Clinic Cherry Point conducted classroom education and practical training on patient decontamination to mitigate casualties caused by chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear contaminants.

Decontamination focuses on the removal of hazardous materials from the body of a person exposed to harmful materials while preventing further contamination. This capability resident within clinic staff provides MCAS Cherry Point much-needed flexibility during an emergency.

“The Decon Team supports the base Fire Department’s Hazardous Material response. In the event of a HAZMAT incident in which there are large number of contaminated personnel, our team would augment the fire department personnel by providing DECON trained personnel,” said
Mr. Joe Farland, the NHCCP Safety Officer. “This would free up the Fire Department personnel to go down range into the “HOT ZONE” to retrieve patients and mitigate the HAZMAT.”

The team also provides a level of protection to the facility, says Farland. Their rapid response to a patient contaminated with a hazardous material ensures the protection of both the facility and its staff.