VIDEO: Decon Hazardous Material Training

COLUMBUS, Miss.(WCBI)—The Baptist Memorial Hospital emergency room staff got a valuable lesson in dealing with hazardous materials.

The Mississippi Department of Health assisted by the Columbus Fire and Rescue team, held a training course designed to show the staff how to remove dangerous chemicals from an individual before they enter the hospital.

The hospital bought the hazardous chemical removal equipment, known as a decontamination equipment, years ago through federal funding but it lay dormant since the purchase.

Participants in Wednesday’s training say it’s always good to be prepared for any situation that could arise.

“With hazardous material events, those don’t occur everyday. We have to do simulation in order to prepare the staff for the event when it occurs,”said nurse Lauri Sansing.

” The fire department shows up on a scene they are going to do a gross decon. They’re going to get them cleaned there but do you want them coming in this hospital contaminated. If they want in that door contaminated you’ve shut down the emergency room,”said Mississippi Department of Health Emergency Coordinator Curtis Jernigan.

The Mississippi Department Of Health will hold it’s next exercise September 7th.