Prehospital Response to Hazmat Incidents

Abstract

Hazmat incidents rarely occur, but when they do they may cause tremendous casualties and terror among the community. The chemical leakage in Bhopal of India in 1984 resulted in 2500 deaths and injured more than 150,000. 1 The Sarin attack in Tokyo subway station caused more than 10 deaths and 5,000 people were affected. 2 Therefore, both industrial chemical leakage and terrorist attack using chemical agents is a major concern to any cosmopolitan city. To best manage these incidents, we need a well written contingency response plan involving local government departments, the Police Department, the Fire Service Department and the receiving hospitals.