Emergency Action for Chemical and Biological Warfare Agents

Emergency Action for Chemical and Biological Warfare Agents, Second Edition is intended for the first responder to the scene of the release of a chemical or biological warfare agent. Formatted similarly to the Department of Transportations Emergency Response Guidebook and designed as a companion to the authors Handbook of Chemical and Biological Warfare Agents, this book is divided into concise chapters that focus on the first few hours after the incident. Each chapter, or class index, is designed to give responders vital information on a specific group of agents. This is done rather than focusing on detailed information for individual agents because the specific agent(s) may not be identified until well into the response, long after many critical decisions have been made. Adding more than 100 additional pages of material, the second edition contains a wider library of agent classes that covers more hazardous materials. It also includes updated appendices that cover dissemination, the effects of weather and terrain, isolation, protective shelters, and manual decontamination. The book also provides a chemical/biological terrorism emergency response checklist. Addressing the immediate needs of first responders as they arrive at the scene of a chemical or biological warfare agent release, this book serves as a guide that gives critical information for key initial reactions without having to read through long explanations. It is an essential quick reference for first responders facing the release of chemical or biological warfare agents.