NHCCC conducts First Reciever Ops Training
Sailors from Naval Health Clinic Corpus Christi participated in semi-annual First Receiver Operations Training Dec. 3-5.
The training is designed to educate personnel on life-saving skills required to triage, initiate field treatment, decontaminate and save victims from Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN), or hazardous materials exposure.
During the three-day training, members of the clinic’s Decontamination Incident Response Team performed inventory and functional inspections on decontamination equipment and learned about hazardous materials, contaminating agents, personal protective equipment and how to process patients through a decontamination station.
The training evolution culminated in a real-world scenario, where team members were measured on their ability to react to an exposure event.
As part of the measured exercise, decontamination team members were timed in two areas. The first area was mission capable, where four team members were required to fully dress out in personal protective equipment and ready to receive patients in less than 15 minutes. The second area was fully capable, where a decontamination station is set up and all team members are dressed out in personal protective equipment and ready to receive process patients in less than 20 minutes.
During the exercise, NHC Corpus Christi’s decontamination response team completed both portions before the allotted time, reaching the mission capable mark at 6 minutes, and achieving full dress out and set up in 8 minutes and 30 seconds.
Following the timed portion of the exercise, the decontamination team practiced receiving ambulatory and non-ambulatory casualties. Team members assessed the simulated casualties to determine the extent of their injuries before routing them to the decontamination station, a pressurized, heated\ water shower system, were they were washed down with sponges and a soap solution.
NHC Corpus Christi’s Decontamination Incident Response Team holds monthly training in preparation for the semi-annual recertification.