NEW DETAILS / HAZARDS MATERIAL INCIDENT: Drill at Lincoln City

The following is a release from North Lincoln Fire & Rescue Capt. Jim Kusz.

North Lincoln Fire & Rescue at 1800 hours was dispatched to a call at the Lincoln City Community Center, according to dispatchers:

“A subject entering the gymnasium threw a jar full of liquid at a group playing basketball and [dispatch] is receiving multiple reports of people having difficulty breathing. Some have a rash where the liquid came in contact with the skin, and teary eye."

The first engine crew arriving on-scene realizes this is a HazMat call, immediately notifying the regional HazMat Team 13 in Salem to respond, and requesting additional aid from Nestucca Fire and Depoe Bay Fire Districts.

As crews suit up to evacuate the building and begin to rescue of individuals in immediate danger, incoming units set-up the new mobile DECON unit. The patients cannot be transported to Samaritan Hospital until decontamination is complete, if not, the unknown chemical can impact dozens if not hundreds of more people.

In the meantime, HazMat 13 one of 14 regional HazMat tractor trailers in the Oregon rapidly deploys. The mobile HazMat unit, communications center and laboratory on wheels gathers critical information from the Command post on-scene and gets ready to further contain the substance and determine its harmful chemical properties when they arrive.

As the sun sets, large lights from Heavy Rescues rise over the scene, and with the arrival of HazMat Team 13, the deployment of the inflatable DECON unit and the HazMat crews entering the building in their Level A HazMat suits the entire area took on the look of a movie set about viral contagion, pandemic or alien virus plague.

Fortunately, this is all a drill made possible by a Siletz Charitable Contribution Fund that provided NLF&R $8,000.00 in a matching grant to purchase $16,000.00 in decontamination equipment, Level B hazmat suits and other equipment, this drill has been plan with other agencies for month including Oregon State Regional HazMat Team 13 who responded after initial rescue of victims, DECON and transportation of critical patients has occurred.

Monday nights HAZMAT drill will be conducted with the following agencies: North Lincoln Fire & Rescue, Depoe Bay Fire, Nestucca Rural Fire Protection District, Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital, Pacific West Ambulance, Oregon State Regional HazMat team 13, Community Center staff and others contributed to a large scale emergency HazMat (Hazardous Material) drill at the Lincoln City Community Center.

The drill is to test the readiness of central Oregon coast agencies and North Lincoln Fire Rescue (NLF&R) first responders who have been practicing deployment in the critical minutes after a Hazardous Material event.

This is an unique advanced team trained and was equipped to respond in our area thanks to the generous grant from Siletz Charitable Contribution Fund and the vision of NLF&R Division Training Chief Jamie Mason who’s prior U.S. Air Force experience and Oregon’s Department of Public Safety, Standards and Training (DPSST) certifications makes him one of a handful of instructors to teach this material on the west coast.

This equipment and training is unique to the Central Oregon Coast, and creates a new level of response and capability not scene before.

Offering the first line of defense when the next accidental or deliberate HazMat incident occurs.

Thanks to all the volunteers and agencies that made this drill possible.