Decontamination Practices
PURPOSE
Decontamination procedures are to be followed to assure that any potentially harmful or
dangerous residue on persons, equipment, or apparatus are confined within the hot zone.
Decontamination is intended to prevent the spread of contaminants beyond a defined area
to avoid carrying contaminants back to the Fire Station or to other environments.
DEFINITIONS
Decontamination is the removal of unwanted radioactive or hazardous contamination by
a chemical or mechanical process. Not all objects are to be considered contaminated and
not all objects can be decontaminated. An assessment must be preformed on each object,
as an object may be exposed to a contaminant without actually being contaminated.
Disposal is the isolation or removal of the object without any decontamination efforts.
The object is to be left in the hot zone for a clean-up contractor. Disposal is used when
the object is unable to be decontaminated due to its porous composition or the extent of
mechanical decontamination outweighs the value of the object.
SCOPE
The specific measures required to decontaminate personnel, equipment, or apparatus will
vary with the contaminant, the circumstances, and the level of contamination. These
factors must be considered on a case-by-case basis within the guidelines described below.
The Incident Commander is responsible for assuring that a decontamination sector is
implemented at incidents which involve a potential contamination problem. This sector
must be overseen by personnel trained to the Hazardous Materials Operations Level per
OSHA 29 CFR 1910.120.
The Decontamination Officer is responsible for determining the most appropriate
decontamination procedures and managing the decontamination process. The initial
assessment of decontamination requirements must be based on the specific needs of the
situation. This must take into account the specific materials involved, the degree and type
of exposure, and the most appropriate method. The assessment will require research and
may involve consultation with toxicology resources. The decontamination line may be
performed by personnel untrained to hazardous materials; however, this line must be
overseen by a Hazardous Materials Operations Level Responder.
The Decontamination Officer must assume that all personnel and equipment leaving the
hot zone are contaminated.
The courses of action available are:
 Decontaminate (as appropriate to the situation) and release
 Retain and package items for removal from the site for disposal or
decontamination at a different location.

Disposal (leaving the object in the hot zone for removal by a clean-up contractor)
In all cases the primary objective must be to avoid contaminating anything beyond the
hot zone, this is referred to as “cross contamination”. When in doubt about
contamination; decontaminate all effected personnel, equipment, and apparatus.
The decontamination corridor should be established adjoining the Hot Zone perimeter to
the entrance/exit (Cold Zone). This zone shall be called the Warm Zone and shall
encompass all decontamination personnel and all related supplies. Personnel, equipment
and apparatus shall not be permitted to leave the hot zone without approval from the
Decontamination Officer. The decontamination area should provide a corridor leading
away from the source of the contamination toward the exit with the stations along the
way for the deposit of tools, equipment, protective clothing and other items. It is
preferable to locate this corridor in a well lit area, with the slope of the ground towards
the Hot Zone, on a non-porous surface.
Monitoring personnel and equipment should be appropriately placed along this corridor.
A person traveling through this corridor should experience a decreased level of
contamination as they travel from one decontamination station to the next. When showers
or spray nozzles are used, adequate space must be provided to avoid contamination of
other areas or persons. All contaminated items must remain within the perimeter of the
Hot Zone until decontaminated or safely packaged for removal. The Decontamination
Officer shall be responsible for supervising proper removal of these items. Personnel
should be assigned to inspect persons and/or equipment before they can be released from
the decontamination area. This inspection may be visual or may involve the use of
monitoring instruments when available. It must be assumed that all items or persons
within the Hot Zone and Warm Zone are contaminated. All items and personnel shall
complete the decontamination procedure prior to exiting into the Cold Zone.
Decontamination Area Precautions
During the decontamination process, all personnel working in the Warm Zone must be
adequately protected from contaminants. The Decontamination Officer will identify and
require the appropriate protective equipment. These individuals and their equipment shall
require decontamination after use. Any runoff or residue from decontamination
procedures must be contained and retained for proper disposal. Contaminated run-off
must not be allowed to spread or escape. Diking may be necessary and should be directed
back to the Hot Zone. Remember, life safety takes precedence over the environment.
Contaminated Victims
Victims in need of medical treatment should be removed from the source of
contamination as quickly as possible, but remain within the hot zone perimeter. These
victims must not be allowed to contaminate further areas or persons. If imminent victim
retrieval is necessary, personnel (with adequate protective clothing and air supply) may
need to enter into the hot zone to deal with these victims if it can be done in a safe
manner. Ambulatory victims not experiencing life threatening signs/symptoms should be
directed to an area of safe refuge located within the Hot Zone. This area shall be located
upwind, uphill, at a safe distance from the release area.
Non-ambulatory victims and those experiencing life threatening signs/symptoms shall be
directed to the emergency decontamination line. Emergency decontamination may take
place anywhere within the Warm Zone and no regard is placed on waste water.
Emergency decontamination is graded on speed, not thoroughness. Every effort is
directed in providing the emergency medical services with a patient that does not contain
any contamination. Special attention is directed towards the head and chest area of the
victim to provide for respiratory assistance. All victims who have been sent through
emergency decontamination should have all clothing removed as a precautionary
measure.
After decontamination, the victim(s) may leave the warm zone. If it is necessary to
transport contaminated patients to medical facilities, the receiving hospital must be
notified in advance of the nature of the contamination in order to make the necessary
preparations. Special attention should be directed to the medical facility(ies) within the
jurisdiction. Many victims will self evacuate to a medical facility and a decontamination
line may need to be set up prior to their entry. This decontamination line must also be
overseen by a Hazardous Materials Operations Level Responder. Efforts such as using
plastic sheeting within the ambulance should be used to prevent the spread of
contamination. Plastic sheeting should never be used to wrap a patient.
Decontaminated Persons
Once effected persons are decontaminated, they may be released to leave the hazard area.
This includes Fire Department Personnel, other Emergency Personnel, Civilians, and
Victims. The Decontamination Officer will determine when it is appropriate to release
custody of protective clothing, personal effects, and equipment after consulting
appropriate medical personnel (i.e., Health Center Physician or Poison Control Center
Physician). The Decontamination Officer may release individuals who are substantially
decontaminated and direct them to medical facilities for further evaluation or
decontamination. Individuals shall be directed to shower, change clothes, or take other
secondary decontamination measures. Every measure should be used to keep a log of
those persons who have been involved in the incident. This includes Victims, Civilians
who were at the event but were not contaminated, Emergency Personnel, Fire Department
Personnel, and any other personnel directly involved in the incident.
Protective Equipment & Personal Effects
When feasible, protective clothing and personal effects should be decontaminated and
released from the hot zone with the individual. If the Decontamination Officer determines
this is not feasible, these items will be collected in the decontamination area. Personal
effects will be carefully guarded by Decontamination Personnel until a determination can
be made regarding their final disposition. In the case of foul play, all items including
clothing are regarded as evidence. Be sure to coordinate this activity with Law
Enforcement to insure chain of custody.
Tools and Equipment
The Decontamination Officer will determine when tools, equipment, and apparatus may
be released from the Hot Zone. No item(s) shall be removed without approval. The
Decontamination Officer may commandeer equipment for later evaluation and have it
packaged for storage or transportation. This will be accomplished following the
consultation of medical and technical assistance.