Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, Calif -- The emergency call went out from assistant fire chief Robert Springer.
Two people were trapped and unconscious inside 322 Iwo Jima, Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, and an unknown fog filled the rooms. Emergency personnel arrived within minutes.
Instead of rushing inside to rescue the victims, the responders first assessed the hazard. Their training had prepared them for such a situation. Indeed, this scenario is one such exercise, covering four days and two shifts Jan. 7 – 10, 2015 at MCLBB.
An entire technology center, first aid station, and decontamination unit were set up within minutes. Two teams were fitted with full-body hazmat suits. The first two-person team went in to rescue survivors, and collect and identify hazardous substances. They found a leaking chlorine tank (in reality vaporized glycerin “smoke”) and a vial of white powder on one of the victims.
The HazMatID 360 – a portable, wireless analyzer that identifies chemicals through infrared spectroscopy – recorded the powder as Sevin, a branded insecticide containing the toxin Carbaryl.
The second team retrieved one of the dead “victims,” and capped the chlorine tank. All exposed personnel, living and “dead,” took a trip through the decontamination wash.
Three hours later, the exercise was over. Another successful training for the first responders of MCLBB.